Where the story Parenting Friendly Organisation started
A mission born out of a desire to do good for children
The Parenting friendly Organisation story is my story, Oana Cojuhovschi. It all started in 2015, when I realised that what I really want is to help children have a better life experience. To understand faster how things work, how to manage their emotions and how they can build lasting relationships.
I wanted each child to be better understood, to grow up in a healthy and balanced environment – so that, in the end, we all enjoy a better life.
Starting from this mission, I realised that my path leads through another place where we can make a difference for children’s futures: the companies where their parents work. This is how the Parenting Friendly Organisation story began.
A change of perspective with the Parenting Friendly Organisation story
Through my work as a management consultant, I have discovered that the performance and wellbeing of employed parents depends not only on internal policies, but more importantly on how leaders and colleagues relate to each other.
When we look at a company not just as a business, but as a community in which we work with people, things change. The presence at work and the interaction between colleagues has a direct impact on their daily lives – and implicitly on the lives of their children. When interaction is based on understanding, empathy and collaboration, the results are better for everyone: the employee, the team and the company.
Parenting Friendly Organisation story – what inspired us?
1. The Parenting Friendly Organisation story starts with your MBA colleague
An MBA generation mate once told me that while he was trying to hire a new colleague, the HR department told him:
“You know she just got married? She’ll probably have children soon.”
That remark surprised him deeply and made him wonder how many decisions are influenced, perhaps unconsciously, by prejudices about motherhood.
That moment was for me a confirmation that a change of perspective is needed – not just in policy, but in managerial mindset.
2. The story of the manager who listened to the community
Another example comes from a human resources manager who was about to open a factory in Croatia and was unable to attract labour.
Going out into the community, he noticed that many women couldn’t work because they couldn’t fit into the 8-hour programme.
The solution was simple, but brave: he hired them on 6-hour days.
The result? It attracted dedicated, grateful and loyal people, and the factory became profitable and stable.
This is what a parenting-friendly organisation is all about: genuinely adapting to people’s needs.
3. My personal story as a manager
At a time when I was managing a sales team, a colleague – a zonal manager – asked me if she could take the child on delegation.
I accepted, but with fear: “What will the customers say?”
The result surprised me. The apparently unusual decision brought image benefits and warmer relations with partners, and the colleague’s loyalty increased significantly.
It was an important lesson: sometimes the courage to act with empathy creates the most lasting results.
Parenting Friendly Organisation story – What are we doing differently?
Parenting Friendly Organisation is not just a project about benefits for parents. It’s a change in managerial perspective – an invitation for organisations to look beyond their professional roles and understand the impact they have on the lives of families.
Oana Cojuhovschi
Through PFO programmes and certification, we support companies to build a healthy culture in which parents can work effectively, children grow up more balanced, and organisations become more high-performing and humane.
Our mission
Support companies in creating parent-friendly workplaces through certification, practical tools and empathetic leadership.
Our vision
A world where work-life balance is not a privilege but a normality.
Change starts with small but strategic steps.
Based on the Parenting Friendly Organisation story, find out how certification can help to achieve retention, engagement and sustainable performance indicators, discover:
Frequently asked questions about certification
Parenting Friendly Organisation certification process