Kuala Lumpur-based banking organisation CIMB has announced that it will now be offering six months' paid maternity leave for its employees in Malaysia who become first-time mothers.
Eligible staff members will be able to take up the benefit from 30 days prior to their estimated due date. CIMB also provides employees with a 'rejuvenation programme', allowing them to take up to six months of unpaid leave for personal reasons, such as caring for family members or a career break, without fear of jeopardising their position and seniority. Using the two initiatives in conjunction will effectively allow first-time mothers to take one year off on half pay.
Other family-friendly benefits offered by CIMB include a flexible working policy that allows staff with children aged five and below or with special needs to work from home for one day a week. Employees whose children have special needs are also able to receive financial assistance of up to RM1,000 (£191.22) per month, per child.
The bank's provision of six months' paid maternity leave became effective on 1 January 2019. In June 2017, CIMB announced that it would be increasing its paternity leave provision from three consecutive days to one month of paid leave for first-time fathers.
Dato' Hamidah Naziadin, chief people officer for CIMB, said: "This enhanced maternity benefit and our existing one-month paternity leave are part of our new holistic approach [to] managing human capital by recognising that employees have different needs at different phases of their life, and by promoting a shared parenting culture for young families in our workforce.
"We also believe that, by allowing first-time parents a longer period to adjust to parenthood, they could create a more meaningful and positive experience with their first-borns while maintaining their career. We are also exploring the possibility of extending this benefit to all our employees, group-wide."
