OC&C Strategy Consultants has launched a fully equalized paid parental leave policy across all 12 of its global offices.
Covering all OC&C employees in Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Netherlands, US and UK, the London-headquartered strategy consultancy called it “a market-leading move.”
The policy promotes shared care by equalizing paid leave and providing flexibility for how leave is taken.
Historically, men take little to no time off work for parental leave, especially in cases where paid leave is not provided. The average American father only takes 10 days off for parental leave, according to OECD stats.
"We live in a time of dual-career households and traditional parental policies are increasingly coming under scrutiny for not reflecting this dynamic,” Danielle Lestrade, OC&C’s global director of people, said. “Instead, these traditions push birth givers, mothers, or primary adopters to do the lion's share of early life childcare while the other parent returns to work. We wholeheartedly believe that becoming a parent should not be a barrier to advancing in your career and for the past four years we have been evolving our entire parental strategy to reflect this.”
OC&C will also provide support before, during, and after leave – including ramp-up options for a smooth transition back to work, parental coaching, emergency childcare, and flexible hours.
"Equalized paid leave for all employees is a fantastic way to foster an inclusive and family-friendly work environment at OC&C. By taking this progressive step, we can ensure that all our employees are well supported in their journey to starting or expanding a family while maintain a thriving career," said Griffin Greenberg, OC&C USA talent manager. "Particularly in the US where options for parental leave are often minimal or unpaid entirely, we are truly proud to be among the top-tier of those US companies who are pushing initiatives to support families of all kinds."
In the US, federal law requires 12 weeks of unpaid leave annually for parents of newborns if they work for a company with 50 or more employees. Since 2020, California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island have required the provision of paid parental leave to employees, including those with fewer than 50 employees.
Of the 38 OECD countries, the US is the only country that has not passed federal laws requiring businesses and corporations to offer paid parental leave.
Sourced from Consulting.US