After parents realized the advantages of being able to stay home with their children and enjoy more flexible schedules, companies have discovered that parents are focusing more priority on spending time with their children in the first phase of their lives.
Expectations are high. There are a few problems, however: not all countries require paid parental leave, and not all parental leave covers all parents. In fact, many parents are excluded entirely from traditional maternity and paternity leave policies.
To create this sort of policy, your organization must commit to going beyond the minimum statutory requirements when it comes to family leave — especially in places where no minimum exists.
This guide will help you set up and manage a policy that allows you to afford your team this opportunity, helping you attract and retain top performers in the process.
In a world in which we always strive to be more inclusive, being intentional about including all genders, parental leave covers all aspects of becoming a parent, without referencing a specific gender. It also implies that any parent with a child under the age of one can take parental leave, without making assumptions of who will be taking care of the child. The flexibility and choice matters most to employees.
Foster parents and step parents, for example, may feel that maternity and paternity leave policies might not apply to them. This can leave a significant number of parents feeling isolated and unsupported by their workplace. An inclusive policy that considers employees in this situation could be critical in attracting and retaining elite performers seeking a more inclusive program.
When a same-sex couple is expecting a child, parental leave doesn’t force the couple to choose which one will claim maternity leave and who will claim paternity leave, which may be a problem for some parents. Nor does the couple need to worry about being forced to fight for maternity leave. Paid paternity leave has traditionally been rarer and more limited than paid maternity leave, so this can be harmful for two-father, trans, or non-binary families, who may have to use other types of leave to welcome and bond with a child.
Although some maternity/paternity policies cover adoption, not all do. Parental leave can be used for adoption procedures, which are time consuming, and the process of getting an adoptive child settled into the home.
When an employee fosters a child, the parents need time to get to know the child and properly settle them into the family. Parental leave allows a family to do this without sacrificing income.
Many parental leave policies may not include stepparents, who are also a vital part of a child’s life. An equitable parental leave policy allows stepparents to take the time they need to bond with a child.
Shared parental leave allows two parents to share a pot of leave. One parent may give up a certain amount of leave so that the other parent can use that leave instead. This allows the parents more flexibility in how they use their leave.
Learn how to develop inclusive policy and a workplace culture for all employees.
Create easily accessible documentation around your policies, so that employees can discreetly reference them and know what they need to do to access the policies and support.
Miscarriage may be thought of as something that impacts the person who is pregnant, but it also impacts their partner.
It’s important that managers know how to talk about pregnancy loss appropriately. Support managers by teaching them how they can handle these situations with discretion, either by offering training, or providing documentation they can consult when a situation arises.
Flexibility may be the most desired, most impactful policy a company can offer. For parents, flexibility is essential because it allows them to be responsive to the needs of their families while managing their responsibilities at work.
While an inclusive policy ensures that all employees feel valued, an equitable one ensures that every team member has equal access to the same benefits.
Equitable parental leave includes:
Creating an equitable parental leave policy requires thoughtful planning. Top talent is looking for a benefits offering that helps them take the time they need to build and raise their family, so it’s important to ensure that while your organization is meeting the minimum requirements of all your team members’ countries, you’re also offering everyone an equitable experience when they use their benefits.
No one wants to feel their family is being denied benefits that other employees are getting. An inclusive and equitable parental leave policy is critical to making every team member feel valued and supported by your organization.
An equitable family leave policy also takes a stand by refusing to reinforce stereotypes, ingrained gender roles, cultural omissions, or other conventions that box people into specific roles within a family. By using inclusive language and enforcing equity, you help every family to decide how to care for their families in the way that works best for them.
Don’t stop at creating policies. Create workflows and structures to ease parents into and out of periods of leave. That way, they can leave and return to work without massive periods of stress. It’s also important for managers and leaders to model the behavior and use their own leave. Otherwise, employees will see the difference between policy and reality and act accordingly.
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