Facilities and property management, catering, and food services firm Sodexo UK and Ireland has enhanced its maternity, adoption and paternity paid leave benefits for salaried employees, to provide them with time, flexibility and financial support.
From the first day of their employment, Sodexo staff will be eligible for 18 weeks of fully paid maternity, adoption and paternity leave. They will also be able to take neonatal leave, as well as for antenatal IVF, adoption or surrogacy appointments. Other carers, such as grandparents, those with legal parental responsibilities or special guardianship, and foster carers, are also covered by the changes.
Sodexo also joined the endometriosis-friendly employer scheme, added a policy allowing staff to apply for flexible working from their first day, increased bereavement leave for parents and family members, and enhanced its life insurance offering for salaried and frontline staff, so the minimum level will be a lump sum equal to the value of base salary as at the date of death.
The firm reported that it is also working towards becoming an accredited menopause-friendly employer by September 2023.
According to Sodexo, the changes were introduced as part of its ambition to offer a flexible culture to help all employees, regardless of whether they have caring responsibilities, to balance work and personal commitments in a way that suits them.
Raj Jones, head of diversity, equity and inclusion at Sodexo UK and Ireland, said: “We are committed to an inclusive, equitable workplace for all. By introducing these enhanced benefits, many as a day one right, we are making progress in this commitment and in our ambition to create a culture of flexibility and recognition of what all colleagues need to juggle outside of work.
“This new suite of enhanced benefits, particularly those that equalise parental leave, is a part of our strategy to narrow our pay gaps by offering both parents the same flexibility and financial support to take time off for childcare. This could enable more women to come back to work sooner.”
