Global food organisation Danone has launched a new global parental policy, including 18 weeks of fully-paid leave for primary caregivers and pre-and post-natal support initiatives.
The new policy aims to provide a consistent standard of support to all new and expectant parents across the organisation's 100,000-strong global workforce, regardless of which country they are based in, whether they are male or female, or whether they are birth or adoptive parents.
New extended parental leave policies will enable both male and female employees to take fully-paid time off to care for a child welcomed through birth or adoption. Birth parents who are the primary caregiver will receive 18 weeks' leave at full-pay, adoptive parents will receive 14 weeks of leave at full pay, and birth and adoptive parents who are the secondary caregiver can take 10 working days at full pay.
The new global policy includes pre-natal support measures that will see expectant mothers offered adapted working conditions and nutritional advice, as well as allocated time off work to attend pre-natal medical appointments.
Post-natal support measures will include lactation rooms for breastfeeding in offices with more than 50 women, job-protection policies, flexible working, and return-to-work programmes.
The global parental policy will also feature customised policies, which will be developed and implemented by local teams.
The new policy will be rolled out gradually, and aims to be fully operational by 2020.
Lorna Davis (pictured), chief manifesto catalyst at Danone, said: “Starting a family brings many joys and challenges to those wanting to build successful careers. However, one should not need to come at the expense of the other.
“Our parental policy aims to give everyone the opportunity to achieve their personal, family and professional ambitions, irrespective of gender. This is one way Danone promotes equality worldwide.”
