Epiroc, a Swedish productivity and sustainability firm for the mining and infrastructure industries, has given its 17,000 global employees a minimum of 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
The parental leave policy, called ‘When life transforms’, applies to all new mothers and fathers, including same-sex, surrogate, and adoptive parents, and can be taken at any point within the first year of parenthood. The initiative was introduced to foster a more inclusive and diverse culture, and will be rolled out in Epiroc’s local entities around the world during the first half of 2023.
According to the employer, several countries currently have local standards that are higher than 12 weeks, which will then override the policy. The policy covers employees in places where parental leave is shorter than this, or where there is no parental leave at all.
Helena Hedblom, president and chief executive officer at Epiroc, said: “At Epiroc we want to accelerate the transformation toward a more sustainable industry. One important part of this transformation is the focus on inclusion and diversity. We want to create a culture that supports equal parenting by giving every new parent an opportunity to spend more time with their child and balance career and family responsibilities.”
Nadim Penser, senior vice president, brand and communication, human resources and safety, health, environment and quality at Epiroc, added: “We believe this will be a valuable benefit both for our employees to bond with their new child and adjust to their new role in life, and for us as a business.
“A culture of inclusion and diversity is crucial to foster innovation and creativity, and we also want to contribute to a sustainable society. Additionally, it can help attract highly qualified candidates looking for an organisation with the right values and culture.”
