US security and defence organisation Umbra Applied Technologies (UAT) Group has introduced paid bereavement leave and paid family sick leave as part of its revamped employee benefits package.
Under the new bereavement leave policy, employees will be able to take 10 days of paid leave to grieve for an immediate family member, or five days of paid leave to grieve for an extended family member.
In addition, employees will also be able to take four weeks of paid leave to care for a sick relative. A new paid family sick time benefit will also enable employees to take three days of leave to care for a family member with a short-term illness, for example a child with a cold.
The new benefits form part of a revamp of the organisation's employee benefits package, which launched on Monday 10 April 2017. The package includes health and wellbeing benefits, medical, dental and eyecare benefits, and a retirement savings plan.
The organisation is also looking to expand its benefits offering further to include short-term and long-term disability benefits, basic and supplemental life insurance, personal accident insurance, a workplace pension plan, additional retirement and savings programmes, an employee assistance programme (EAP), an employee stock purchase plan, an educational assistance programme, and an employee discount scheme.
UAT Group is also reviewing an employer-funded employee stock ownership plan, which allocates stock to retirement accounts for eligible employees at the end of each fiscal year.
The organisation also offers 10 weeks of paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers.
Alex Umbra, chief executive officer at UAT Group, said: “UAT Group is looking to bolster its focus on corporate culture and work environment by offering a competitive benefits package with unique incentive programmes and rewards, not just for the individual team member but for project teams as a collective.
“I believe that if [an organisation] demonstrates its genuine concern for its team then the team in turn will reciprocate. Thus far, this ethos has served the [organisation] well as evident in our employee retention rate.”
Thomas L. Crom III, chief financial officer at UAT Group, added: “While benefit plans can be a key element in attracting and retaining talented employees, at UAT Group it is more than that. We believe that if someone is going to commit much of their time to this [organisation] then we owe it to them to not just show appreciation for their commitment, but we should do everything we can as [an organisation] to care for them as they do us.”