Law firm Hill Dickinson’s carers’ leave policy acknowledges that caring comes in all forms: from child and eldercare, to temporary ill-health and even pet care.
Through its carers’ leave policy, its 1,050 employees can take up to one week of carers’ leave every 12 months, either as a full week or through a combination of individual days or half days based around their needs. For those with more than one year of service, this is fully paid.
The firm has a number of networking groups that offer employees support. These are fully facilitated and led by members, so any shared information remains within the group. It also provides access to 24/7 confidential support and counselling services facilitated by its employee assistance line and Bupa, and, through Bright Horizons, confidential support via its Speak to an Expert service, and up to 10 days of subsidised back-up care and advice on matters including permanent care for adults and the elderly.
As a law firm, Hill Dickinson is often able to advise staff on matters related to caring responsibilities, such as eldercare or illness. Examples of this include lasting powers of attorney, asset protection, and wills and estate planning, explains Carolyn Morgan, chief people officer.
“This is obviously quite handy,” she says. ”Investing in our people is the single most impactful investment we ever make. Pretty much everything else we do to ensure the firm’s continued success flows from that. There’s no doubt that having a carers’ policy as all-embracing as ours also helps with all aspects of recruitment, progression and retention. Those who have benefited directly tend to become our greatest cheerleaders.”
To improve their understanding of carers’ responsibilities, all of the firm’s line managers complete regular training on line manager essentials. It also has a dedicated support and information hub on its intranet, backed up by access to one-to-one guidance from its HR team.
Hill Dickinson is aware that a number of its workforce have caring commitments, and that employees’ ability to fit that responsibility into and around their working day often requires a balancing act. Through its carers’ leave policy, which was designed to encompass a range of care requirements spanning all life stages, it wanted to acknowledge that struggle head on and create something that would help to remove the stress.
In many ways, it was an easy decision to introduce the support, and it is something employees have responded to very positively, explains Morgan.
“To attract and retain the best people in a very competitive market, [we] need to look after them. But it also means committing year after year to considerable financial investment. As a firm, we’ve always been consciously prepared to do that. It makes for a motivated and committed workforce which, in turn, makes for better business,” she adds.
