Anna O'Dea’s Post

I love reading stories like this that move from talking about the problem to actually delivering real solutions. Deloittes new equal family leave policy is exactly that. From January 2025, all parents will get 26 weeks of fully paid leave – a game changer for thousands of working families. It’s about time companies recognise how critical family leave is, with 87% of parents saying it’s a key factor when choosing an employer. This shift will make a huge difference, especially for working mums who often bear the brunt of unequal leave and inflexible work setups. Even better, Deloitte’s policy goes beyond just family leave, offering support for neonatal care, fertility treatment, and long-term caregiving. This isn’t just lip service – it’s real action that shows they’re serious about supporting their people. This is the kind of positive, impactful change we need to see more of! #WorkingParents #PaentalLeave #EqualParentalLeave #MaternityLeave #GenderEquity

YouGov research, commissioned by Deloitte and published in September highlighted some interesting findings regarding parental leave. Deloitte also announced that they were introducing a policy of 26 weeks’ fully paid family leave for all its new parents next year. Will other businesses consider the same? Check out some of the interesting statistics below... ❗nine out of ten (87%) working parents say family leave is a major factor when choosing an employer ❗Over half of working mothers (57%) have had to reduce working hours because of their co-parent’s workplace inflexibility ❗ More than half (54%) of working parents say they would consider leaving their jobs for improved work-life balance ❗ 67% reported increased stress or anxiety levels while balancing work and family responsibilities. ❗ Beyond parenting leave, 61% of respondents expressed a desire for more flexible work hours for new fathers, with 46% wanting hybrid working and 42% calling for a more supportive workplace culture What are your thoughts? https://lnkd.in/epwQPY9m

Parental leave...   From January 2025, all Deloitte employees are eligible for 26 weeks of fully paid parental leave.   Recently commissioned YouGov research shows that:   👶 For 87% of respondents, parental leave is a factor in choosing employers. 👶 For 85%, it is a key reason for staying with a firm 👶 28% aren't encouraged to take leave for family commitments.   I was the first employee to become a parent at my last company.   Working in a sales environment, I'd heard horror stories, but in fact:   ✅ I could attend antenatal appointments without using paid leave. ✅ I wasn’t made to feel guilty about the increased workload in my absence   And when my daughter was born…   I took 5 weeks off. Statutory paternity leave in the UK is 2 weeks.     Work phone on flight mode. No Whatsapps. No calls. I was off-grid.   My managers trusted that my handover would cover it.   I could immerse myself in the newborn bubble, I’ll always be grateful for that.   Not all companies can match Deloitte’s policy. They don’t need to.   Your employees will see how you treat expectant parents. The little things will make a difference.   What were your experiences of parental leave? https://lnkd.in/end-kkaC

In case you missed it, Deloitte have just announced the equalisation of paid leave for all new parents. From January 2025 their new policy will include an incredible 26 weeks paid leave. This is a massive step forward, not only in the opportunity to really embrace parenthood and the work-life balance, but to enable continued career progression for the parent who would usually be the one taking a break to be the primary care giver. How important is parental leave to you when looking for a new employer? We'd love to hear your thoughts. #parentalleave #worklifebalance #genderequality https://lnkd.in/dFpbQKN9

Family policies are big news in EVP right now. If you are thinking through what this means for your organisation, here are some thoughts that might help 👇 • 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺? We all know the pandemic changed how we think about the balance between work and "life". It opened our eyes to a different way - crucially enabled by technology that allows greater geogrphocal flexibility and many organisations adopting hybrid or remote policies that we still see for many orgs today.    • 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄? more recently, organisations have built on flexible working models by offering more support for employees to balance their caring responsibilities with their work, whether that's paid or unpaid.      There is a massive propostion of the workforce who are "the 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻" - simultaneously caring for their children and their parents. So organisations have built out support for flexible working requests, backed by legisalative guidelines that came in earlier this year with 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟭 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟭 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘂𝗻𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲. Some organisations have since made their policy paid rather than unpiad leave and extended the duration.      More recently the subject of 𝗨𝗞 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 has hit the deadlines and organisations such as 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲. This doesn't just advantage fathers, but mothers experiencing the 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝗽 that is partly driven by the impact of maternity leaves on their career.      Then, last week the new government introduced 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 which removes the qualifying periods for unpaid parental leave and statutory paternity leave. • 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁? Often we see changes in other nations before we see it in our own. So I was interested to see the 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.      Clearly this example is only possible at a national not an organisational level, but it is an interesting example of the potential direction of travel and societal expectations. Where do you see all this heading in the future? ………………………………………………………. I’m Vicki, the Founder of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗩𝗣 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆. I partner with organisations to create and activate powerful EVPs that attract and retain top talent 💥 Follow me for more insights like this and ring my bell to catch my posts 🛎️ 📞You can book a 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 to explore how I could support your organisation here: https://t.ly/EVPdiscovery 📧 or you can DM me or email me at [email protected]

🚩 "Parental leave is just for moms." 🚩 "It's too complicated and too expensive." 🚩 "National paid parental leave is around the corner." We hear this all the time and every single one is wrong. ✅ Parental leave is not just for moms; dads take leave at comparable rates when available. ✅ Parental leave is not too complicated when you have experts to handle every aspect from leave and claims to payroll, compliance, and more. ✅ National paid parental leave will take *years* to implement, at a best case. Let's debunk the 10 biggest myths and misconceptions surrounding paid parental leave. For most companies, rolling out an equitable policy will lead to immediate ROI and cost savings, from reducing hiring expenses and turnover, to an instant brand boost. https://lnkd.in/eSXrsYDY #myths #parento #paidleave #pfl #maternityleave #paternityleave

Only 27% of workers in the private industry have access to paid family leave (according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics) as of 2023. Yet, building better parental leave policies, and supporting working parents is crucial for employers looking to create a comprehensive benefits program. EBN outlined an interview with a mother returning from maternity leave, and here were her takeaways on what makes a good paid family leave policy: ➡ EBN HPE offers 26 weeks of paid parental leave ➡ Policy extends to all types of new additions ➡ Flexible leave within the first 12 months ➡ Employees value bonding time ➡ Comprehensive support ➡ People-centricity is a key for success ➡ Values are appreciated What do you think about the interviewee's list above? Are there any that you would change or add? By prioritizing parental leave and offering comprehensive support, employers can attract and retain top talent and create a more inclusive and supportive work environment. Be sure to check your Paid Leave policy this year to make sure you're in line with your peers! #PFML #ParentalLeave #PaidFamilyLeave

January 2025 sees the launch of Deloitte’s new Equality Family Leave Policy; a first in class policy part of a wider enhanced Family & Carers Package. With YouGov stating that 9/10 working parents state that ‘family leave’ policy is a MAJOR factor when choosing an employer and over half of working mothers moving to reduced working hours due to workplace inflexibility – it is refreshing to see a trailblazing policy being announced. · Deloitte will introduce a new family leave policy that equalises pay for all parents, which is 26 weeks of full pay from 1 January 2025; · Strengthened support for those undergoing fertility treatment by giving paid time off; · Additional paid leave for parents whose child requires neonatal care for up to 12 weeks; · Increased support for carers by offering our people with long-term caregiving roles the opportunity to take [an additional] five days of paid leave per year. In addition to these new changes, Deloitte have some fantastic programmes including the ‘Working Parents Transitions Programme’ which helps parents and their team leaders manage the transition into parenthood as smoothly as possible. What inspiration can you take from this to affect your own company policies? #Equality #ParentSupport #Trailblazers

I'm delighted for being able to share my views on the new upcoming parental leave provisions with #TheStraitsTimes, both in terms of the importance of parental leave (which I really felt we needed more allowance on this when we have a newborn💆♀️), and on some of the resolutions (plans) which 3E has been adopting to adapt to these new changes. For 3E Accounting, we are fully supportive of the enhanced parental leave framework and we believe that such added leave is necessary for parents to better care and adjust to their new responsibilities as we understand that caring for a newborn is no small feat and it is vital that companies not only have spare capacity to handle these absences but also reward and support those who could step-in to cover the duties of those during their absence. Thus, having the extra capacity to stand-by and to keep the workload of the team at a reasonable level is quite essential in my perspective as only by creating a working environment that is healthy could lead to better employee satisfaction which ultimately helps the company achieve longer sustainability. Balancing work and family life is important, and it’s our responsibility as employers to make this possible. By planning ahead and being flexible, we can ensure that our teams remain strong, even when key members are on parental leave. It’s not just about filling gaps but about understanding and supporting our employees through significant life changes. Let's continue to craft and build more workplaces that can value both our employees' professional contributions and also their personal well-being. #ParentalLeave #EmployeeWellbeing #SMEs #WorkLifeBalance #HappyEmployees #3EAccounting

📢 Deloitte equalises parenting leave! 📢 Today Deloitte announced our new equal family leave policy, ensuring all new parents will be eligible for 26 weeks fully paid leave to help make our firm an even more family-friendly place to work. These changes are part of a wider, enhanced family and carers leave package for our people, including paid time off for: 👉 Neonatal care 👉 Caring responsibilities 👉 Fertility treatment We also commissioned new YouGov research of over 2,000 working parents, which showed that family leave is a crucial consideration for employees, with 85% of respondents saying that it is key for staying with a company. Our new policy demonstrates both the significance and value we place on looking after our people during some of the most important moments in their lives, as well as our commitment to equality. Click the link below to find out more about the new policy 👇 https://lnkd.in/eRHdQJhS