Yahoo Finance 18 weeks leave: Aussie company redefines parental leave
Aussie tech platform Linktree has announced a new parental leave policy that aims to remove the barriers that women face in the workforce.
The new policy spans all genders and family structures, including same sex, adoptive or foster parents as well as those in defacto, kinship and surrogacy arrangements.
The new parental leave policy is available to Linktree employees from today and includes:
18 weeks leave for all genders, all family constructs.
Flexibility and paid leave to attend IVF/fertility appointments and antenatal appointments for all genders.
Stillbirth and infant loss provisions included for all genders.
Uprise EAP: counsellors with specialisation and education which includes perinatal and postnatal health.
Access to 10 “keep in touch” days and training and tools for managers/leaders.
Back-up care and emergency care support for use as needed.
$500 stipend to support a workplace return experience (for remote office setups, expressing devices as needed etc.)
With 75 per cent of unpaid domestic and caring work completed by women globally, Linktree said companies have a role to play in supporting a shift in the status quo.
The over-reliance on women to take on the unpaid domestic and emotional labour associated with caregiving is a contributor to inequality and the disproportionate burnout rates of women, the ABS has revealed.
“There is more to parental leave than simply giving people time off and we don’t think that any parent should have to choose between two incredibly vital roles,” Global Head of People and Culture at Linktree Isa Notemans said.
“Active working parents are some of our greatest gifts and we understand the challenges they face in finding a balance between work and home responsibilities.”
Notemans said the company wants its employees to feel supported by their workplace and managers.
“Our hope is that by offering a progressive parental leave policy and experience that aligns with the realities of being a working parent today, we will create a workplace that allows every parent to bring their best self to life”.
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