Car manufacturer Volvo Cars has introduced a new parental leave policy for sales employees in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
The gender-neutral policy was announced on 6 May 2019, and offers both mothers and fathers six months of leave with 80% pay. The new paid parental leave policy is a pilot that could lead to the roll-out of a similar scheme to all 43,000 global Volvo Cars employees.
The initiative seeks to equalise paid parental leave for both men and women, and forms part of Volvo Cars' people strategy, which aims to attract and retain the best people.
Hanna Fager, head of people experience, HR, said: “The EMEA initiative is one of several activities with the aim to create an inclusive culture and attract and retain a diverse set of people.
“It improves life-work balance, boosts family time and fits with a progressive, human-centric [organisation] such as Volvo Cars.
“We need to be a truly attractive employer to be able to deliver on our ambitious growth plans. Attracting and retaining the best people is crucial, and we know that skilled talents will be more selective in their choice of employer.
"The winners in this battle for talent will be [employers] that value diversity, modern and flexible working practices, and employee wellbeing.”
