The Bank of Ireland has launched a revised paternity leave policy in order to support its employees to combine their work and family life more effectively.
The current amount of paid paternity leave on offer has been increased from two to six weeks, and is available from the first day of employment.
The updated initiative also allows an employee who adopts a child, becomes a parent through surrogacy, is the parent of a donor-conceived child, or whose partner is having a baby, to take six weeks of paid leave within the first six months of the child’s life. The spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the mother of the child is also considered a relevant parent as well as the father of the child.
According to the bank, it has updated this policy in order to recognise the need for a parent to bond with their child, even in circumstances where they may not be entitled to adoptive or maternity leave, increasing gender equity at home and at the workplace.
The Bank of Ireland also offers fertility leave and support, menopause support, a surrogacy support policy and a recently added domestic abuse policy, where it provides both financial and non-financial support to employees who experience domestic abuse. The bank has made these policies available to staff from the first day of their employment.
Matt Elliott, chief people officer at the Bank of Ireland, said: “We want to help our colleagues make the most of their important life milestones while also creating a more supportive and inclusive culture within the bank. This improved policy offers new parents more time to prioritise their family responsibilities with a greater balance between work and family life.
“Our aim is to create a more inclusive approach to all types of family leave, recognising the varying needs of the modern family in all its guises. We will continue to examine ways that we can improve and enhance what it is like to work at Bank of Ireland for all 9,000 of our colleagues.”