US-based fast food restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill has enhanced its paid parental leave benefits, to support new working parents.
On 6 March, Chipotle announced that starting in 2020, it plans to increase paid parental leave for restaurant support centre employees, providing 12 weeks for mothers, and four weeks for new fathers. The organisation will also cover costs for working mothers to use breastmilk shipping services during work travel.
Chipotle support centre staff will also have the opportunity to access Humans Uniting to Support the Ladies’ Experience (Hustle), an employee resource group that provides guides to support individuals ease their way back into work after time off. This includes offering advice for: connecting with Chipotle’s people experience and benefits teams; voicing return-to-work needs; discussing employees’ transition plans; finding internal and external resources for working parents.
The organisation will also be testing a new unlimited paid time off benefit for restaurant support centre directors and executive team directors this year. Chipotle will use this pilot process to make a decision on whether to make the benefit accessible to additional restaurant support employees.
Marissa Andrada, chief people officer at Chipotle, said: “Over the past year, we’ve positioned ourselves as a leader in curating an environment that maximises the potential of our outstanding workforce. We want to ensure our employees are able to share important moments with their family and have the necessary time away from work to recharge after a monumental life event.”