After parents experienced the benefits of staying at home with their children and adopting more flexible schedules, employers noticed parents prioritise time with their young children more than before.
Expectations are high. There are several challenges, though: not every country mandates paid parental leave, and existing parental leave schemes do not cover all types of parents. Many people are left out of traditional maternity and paternity provisions entirely.
To deliver this type of policy, your organisation should pledge to exceed minimum statutory family leave requirements — particularly in jurisdictions where none exist.
This guide outlines how to create and manage a policy that makes such leave affordable for your business, helping you attract and keep high-performing talent.
You could stick to the statutory minimum when setting family leave, but that may not be the best approach.
To win top talent, your parental leave scheme must be competitive, inclusive, equitable and compassionate.
People planning to start families want leave that lets them parent without sacrificing career progression, opportunities or pay.
Jobseekers actively compare benefits packages when choosing roles. According to Remote’s Global Benefits Report, 60% of workers say they chose one job over another because of a better benefits package, and 35% of global employees have turned down or left roles due to benefits concerns.
of people aged 25–34 would reject a job if parental leave benefits were inadequate.
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Enhancing parental leave or adding benefits can be costly, and leadership may worry about budgets. Remote’s research indicates 78% of decision-makers observed improved employee retention after upgrading benefits.
Given that the cost to recruit a new hire is estimated at three to four times the new employee’s salary, improving benefits can be cost-effective and help attract top talent.
Another rationale for a generous global family policy is the vast variation in parental leave worldwide. Designing equitable benefits is essential when you hire across multiple markets.
When building a global workforce, it is crucial your parental policy is inclusive. Regardless of where employees live or their family situation, the policy should deliver a fair experience for everyone.
Although many countries mandate parental leave, statutory family leave varies significantly between jurisdictions.
Bulgaria provides 410 days of paid maternal leave, with mothers receiving 90% of salary during that period. Although generous for birth parents, paternity leave is only 15 days after childbirth; fathers may access the mother’s leave once the child is six months old.
Sweden also provides generous and more inclusive leave: 240 days per parent, paid at around 80% of normal wages. Single parents receive the full 480 days a couple would be entitled to, and for multiple births an extra 180 days is granted per additional child.
In the UK, eligible staff with the correct contract and notice can take 52 weeks of maternity leave, with 39 weeks eligible for statutory pay. Paid paternity leave is capped at a maximum of two weeks. The UK also allows unpaid parental leave: parents may take up to 18 weeks per child until the child turns 18, though capped at four weeks per child each year unless the employer agrees otherwise.
The U.S. requires some employers to provide 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year for certain circumstances, including childbirth. These protections apply only to eligible employees — those with at least one year’s service and who worked 1,250 hours in the preceding year. Several states and cities have introduced local statutory paid parental leave laws, adding complexity to U.S. family leave arrangements.
Examples include Estonia, which provides 82 weeks for a child’s primary caregiver whether birth, adoptive or foster parents are involved, and Japan, which offers a year of leave for each parent.
Nevertheless, relying on a single country’s statute is unwise when shaping your own policy. Establishing globally consistent, equitable and inclusive policies helps ensure all current and prospective employees feel supported.
Understanding international parental leave legislation can be challenging
Remote analysed parental leave rules in 11 countries to highlight differences. Consult our Inclusive Parental Leave Policies Research to review our findings.
You might think “but we already provide maternity leave.” In many cases, maternity provisions still fall short of supporting all parents.
Maternity leave was first proposed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 1919 to give working mothers time to have and care for infants. Although updated over time, it was primarily designed to protect birth parents.
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A century has passed since those standards began. We recognise many kinds of parents and carers now; maternity leave alone does not cover everyone. Fathers, adoptive parents, foster carers, stepparents and other caregivers all need time to bond with children.
Consider the case of Gary Ackerman, a New York teacher who became a father in 1969 and repeatedly faced refusals when he tried to access leave benefits offered to his female colleagues.
At that time leave was unpaid and reserved for women. Men were expected to keep working. The Ackermans challenged the policy, with Rita Ackerman arguing that women-only leave forced gendered caregiver roles. Their victory changed local policy, but it took many years for paternity leave to become more common.
Twenty-one percent of women and 16% of men who took parental leave report it held back their career progression.
Nevertheless, maternity and paternity provisions remain insufficient. A genuinely inclusive family leave policy must be broader.
of employees feel their employer should do more to make parental leave inclusive.
"In our pursuit of inclusivity, parental leave should be intentionally gender-neutral and applicable to any parent with a child under one year old. Flexibility and the ability to choose what works best are what matter most to employees."
Remote’s director of people enablement | Amanda Day
Offering maternity leave alone, or both maternity and paternity separately, is not enough. Switching to a parental leave approach is important for several reasons.
Terms like “maternity” and “paternity” exclude people outside the gender binary and others who do not identify with those traditional labels. That matters because such parents may lack legal protections or access to government leave.
Foster carers and stepparents, for instance, might feel excluded by maternity and paternity-only policies.
This can leave many parents feeling isolated and unsupported at work. An inclusive parental policy that recognises such situations may be decisive in attracting and retaining high performers who value an inclusive programme.
The labels “maternity” and “paternity” also imply a narrow set of uses, typically around childbirth and early months. Parental leave should be usable in a wider range of circumstances, including:
When same-sex couples are expecting, parental leave avoids forcing them to choose who claims maternity or paternity leave. Paid paternity has often been more limited than paid maternity, which can disadvantage two-father, trans or non-binary families who need paid time to welcome and bond with a child.
While some maternity and paternity policies include adoption, many do not. Parental leave can cover the adoption process and the time needed to settle an adoptive child into the home.
When an employee fosters a child, they need time to bond and properly integrate the child into the family. Parental leave supports that without loss of income.
Many parental leave schemes omit stepparents, yet they play crucial roles in children’s lives. An equitable parental leave policy permits stepparents to take time to bond with a child.
Shared parental leave lets two parents draw from the same leave allocation. One parent can transfer some of their leave to the other, providing greater flexibility in how leave is used.
Between 10% and 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. It is likely someone you know or work with has experienced it, yet pregnancy loss often remains a private grief for many parents.
Most miscarriages happen in the early weeks and months, before many parents share news of the pregnancy beyond close family.
A 2019 UK study found one in three parents who suffered pregnancy loss developed post-traumatic stress. In organisations committed to DEI and inclusion, these values should be mirrored in family leave policy. Such provisions attract top global talent, as many professionals seek roles offering these supports. Some individuals developed post-traumatic stress, others anxiety and depression. While symptoms eased over time for many, high levels persisted nine months after the loss.
Offering compassionate leave for miscarriage and related trauma, such as unsuccessful fertility treatments or ectopic pregnancies, shows care for employees who might otherwise feel pressured to work through such trauma. It signals genuine support for those facing fertility or miscarriage concerns.
This form of leave goes beyond standard bereavement and supports both physical and mental wellbeing. After miscarriage an employee may have ongoing physical symptoms, require medical appointments, or be emotionally unable to work. Connect pregnancy loss leave with mental health support where possible.
are reluctant to take their full parental leave because of stigma.
Discussions about miscarriage remain uncommon, particularly at work, so publicising the policy and ensuring employees feel able to use it can be difficult. Employers can take three specific steps to make it easier:
Produce clear, easily accessible documentation about your policies so employees can discreetly check how to access support and the steps required.
While miscarriage directly affects the person who was pregnant, it also affects their partner and close family.
Equip managers to handle conversations about pregnancy loss with sensitivity. Offer training or ready documentation they can consult to respond discreetly and appropriately.
Reproductive rights vary widely: only 75 countries allow abortion on request, others permit it for health reasons, and 24 countries ban it altogether.
For a global team, awareness of these differences is vital when creating a reproductive health policy. At Remote, we support employees making private healthcare decisions and provide documentation explaining our policy and how to request funds where required.
Financial support is a core element of a reproductive health policy, because it covers more than time off. We provide $2,000 USD to employees or their partners living in jurisdictions without safe, legal abortion access to cover travel, accommodation or medical fees. Disbursements are swift and confidential, and we do not retain data about them.
Decisions to end a pregnancy can affect mental health. Ensure your reproductive health policy ties into your organisation’s mental health resources.
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Caring for a family is time-consuming and can be especially demanding for parents of young children working from home. Parents juggling work and childcare can feel forced to choose between being a present parent or a productive employee.
Permitting flexible or part-time hours for parents can let them work at times when they are most productive. Employers may worry about reduced output when staff go part time after childbirth, but flexible arrangements can benefit both the organisation and employees—particularly in async teams. Flexibility helps parents balance life and work while continuing to deliver quality work.
Flexibility may be the single most valued policy a company offers. For parents, it is essential to respond to family needs while meeting work responsibilities.
Remote’s senior expert of global benefits design and strategy | Joana Viana
Instead of requiring exhausted parents to work synchronously while caring for children, offering schedule autonomy shows trust and is likely to be rewarded with sustained productivity.
Some countries legally require employers to permit part-time work if both parents are employed, so offering flexible options not only strengthens trust but can simplify compliance too.
An inclusive parental leave policy should cover all types of parents: birth parents, adoptive parents, foster parents and stepparents. It should embrace all gender identities, sexual orientations and family configurations. If someone on your team is a parent, the leave policy should apply to them.
Using inclusive language in parental leave policies helps everyone feel supported and empowered to do what’s best for their families. Use gender-neutral terms (“parent” instead of “mother” or “father”), avoid classifying caregivers as primary or secondary, and ensure language is clear and universal so all employees understand the policy.
An inclusive policy can help shift gender role expectations. For example, encourage men to take parental leave, accept bereavement for pregnancy loss and avoid labelling women as the default caregivers.
Inclusivity makes employees feel valued; equity ensures every team member can access the same benefits.
Equitable parental leave includes:
The same benefits, resources and opportunities for all staff, regardless of gender or family structure
Consistent benefits irrespective of where employees live or the statutory leave in their country
Building an equitable parental leave policy requires careful planning. Top talent expects a benefits offering that lets them take the time needed to raise a family. While you should meet the statutory minima across markets, also ensure everyone has an equitable experience when using benefits.
No one should feel their family is denied benefits others receive. Inclusive and equitable parental leave is key to ensuring every team member feels valued and supported by the organisation.
An equitable policy also challenges stereotypes and entrenched gender roles. By using inclusive language and enforcing equity, you allow each family to decide the caregiving approach that best suits them.
Welcoming a new child is a milestone. New parents should be able to take their entitled time without fear of judgement. Cultivating a culture that supports and encourages leave is essential.
For example, one company offers a $2,000 USD stipend to pregnant employees to help cover maternity clothing. For many parents, the availability of flexible working after a new child arrives is the most valued benefit.
Remote’s benefits research shows flexibility is the top desired benefit across most workers, particularly parents. If you do not offer flexible arrangements such as async work, remote work and location independence, some leading professionals will look elsewhere.
We noted Japan provides a year of paid parental leave for each parent, but research shows only 13% of men in Japan actually take the leave. This is not unique to Japan; globally non-birthing parents often do not use their allocated leave. One survey found Australian men avoid leave because of financial concerns, with the second reason being fear of being perceived as less committed at work.
A BBC report concluded non-birthing parents worldwide tend not to take the leave provided to them. Causes include ingrained breadwinner stereotypes and concerns over workplace perceptions.
Don’t stop at policy creation. Implement workflows and structures that smooth transitions into and out of leave so employees can step away and return without excessive stress. Leaders and managers should model the behaviour by using their own leave to bridge the gap between policy and practice.
Remote’s senior expert of global benefits design and strategy | Joana Viana
All parents still feel pressure to return to work quickly. A 2021 study reported 50% of mothers felt maternity leave harmed their careers, citing microaggressions and negative assumptions about taking extra time.
Therefore, team leaders must openly support parental leave and encourage employees to use the time they are entitled to.
Workers are often harsher in self-judgement than managers or peers. They may fear taking leave will make them seem less committed or likely to leave. Parental leave exists to protect both physical and mental wellbeing; if employees do not take necessary leave, their work may suffer.
To reduce reluctance, leaders should champion family leave policies and actively encourage staff to use parental leave without fear of judgement.
of workers in sales, media and marketing are unaware of the parental leave their employer provides.
Be proactive and transparent in communications about leave policies so all team members know what benefits exist and how to access them.
Emphasise the importance of taking parental leave and convey that family responsibilities take priority.
Promote a healthy life–work balance, which is essential to keep the team engaged, motivated and productive.
Reassure staff that taking parental leave will not hinder future career progression.
Set a clear return-to-work plan with the employee and include a structured career development plan to provide reassurance.
Embed safeguards in performance reviews to ensure parental leave does not stall an employee’s advancement at the company.
Parents want encouragement and support before, during and after their parental leave. Consider their experience in each of these phases.
HR teams often focus on support immediately before and after leave. Yet many parents appreciate options to stay engaged with their role and team while on leave.
Giving parents the choice to remain connected to team social activities during leave lets individuals decide their preferred level of engagement. Employers should still encourage parents to disconnect and enjoy their time off, but flexibility allows some new parents to stay socially connected at work, which can offer important adult contact during leave.
The transition back to work can be difficult, so include documented support in your policy. Returning birth parents often worry about burdening colleagues with ramp-up tasks. Consider appointing a return-to-work buddy similar to an onboarding buddy to help the parent reintegrate and catch up.
Administering a global parental leave scheme can be hard for remote employers with staff around the world. Different countries impose different requirements, and compliance can quickly become complex.
For example, while the United States may not mandate paid parental leave, employees receive protections under FMLA during qualifying leave. Even in at-will states, FMLA typically offers protection from termination while on leave.
For this reason, we advise employers to adopt a global equity policy applying to all staff, regardless of location. After committing to equity, you can flexibly implement it across markets. The aim is to create equivalent experiences for employees in comparable situations, not to resolve every global leave disparity single-handedly.
This is where an Employer of Record (EOR) can assist. An EOR (such as Remote) acts as the local employer to employ staff in other countries on your behalf. EORs specialise in local employment laws and manage benefits, payroll and tax compliance, removing the burden of navigating each country’s legislation yourself.
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Although it may appear complex, an inclusive and equitable parental leave policy can be straightforward to set up and run. You do not need to become a global HR expert or hire lawyers in every country to employ local staff. With an EOR like Remote, you can hire talent worldwide and provide the benefits they require.
If you need guidance on benefit design, this guide offers a step-by-step primer for building a global benefits programme for your workforce.
Remember
Parental leave is one element of a benefits programme that must comply with each country’s statutory requirements. Remote’s global benefits specialists and local HR teams can advise on market expectations to assemble a globally equitable, locally competitive package for your people. Our benefits team can also design a global package for your organisation.
Providing inclusive and equitable parental leave is a significant step toward a broader benefits offering that attracts and retains the best global talent. It also helps level the field for parents in regions where parental leave is not mandated. A generous parental leave policy signals that family matters, and that your organisation supports employees’ life–work balance. Communicate that message and talented parents worldwide will consider your company.
But providing equitable leave globally can feel daunting. That is why partnering with global employment providers like Remote is crucial.
We manage the complexities of global HR operations while our platform simplifies administration, so your team can focus on global strategy.
Employer of Record & PEO — 30 MIN
For further guidance on building your global team
Guide to hiring international employees | Anastasia Pshegodskaya
