Starting 1 January, 2017, employees of all AXA entities in the world will be able to avail this facility.
With organisations across the globe rethinking their parental policies and changing them to suit employee needs, keeping them motivated and loyal, no one wants to be left behind. The AXA Group also recently announced a global parental policy. Come New Year, and employees of all AXA entities in the world will be entitled to 16 weeks of maternity leave or four weeks of paternity leave.
AXA’s new leave policy enhances the solutions offered to new parents in all of the 64 countries in which the Group operates. As per the policy, 16 weeks of paid leave is offered to the primary parent and four weeks of paid leave to the co-parent, while guaranteeing a return to an equivalent role with similar terms and conditions.
Talking of the new policy, Thomas Buberl, chief executive officer, AXA says, “This global policy gives all AXA employees the same rights and opportunities when expanding their family. I am convinced that a good balance between professional and private life is absolutely necessary to the performance and professional fulfilment of our employees.”
This is a major leap forward in terms of employment benefits for many AXA Group employees working in countries where public policies in support of parenthood can be much less favourable than in Europe. Although the International Labour Organisation recommends a minimum maternity leave of 14 weeks, many countries continue to implement a shorter period. The United States, for example, has no mandated paid parental leave at all.
Rino Piazzolla, AXA group human resources director, says, “This new parental policy will standardise our offer to employees, and send a strong signal across the Group and around the world. It is also a significant competitive advantage in attracting and retaining the best talent.”
In line with its belief of having a diverse and inclusive workforce, and being a company where one can be both a parent and a professional, this policy will prove quite worthwhile. As a company that trusts its employees and understands the importance of well-being in the workplace and one that drives innovation and fosters creativity, AXA’s global parent policy will better support employees during a period of change in their lives, while helping them to find their professional and personal balance.
The policy offers leave for two kinds of employees.
First, maternity or primary parent leave, where the parent will take the primary responsibility for welcoming a child into the family – in cases involving the pregnancy of an employee or their partner, the pregnant woman is automatically the primary parent.
Second, paternity or co-parent leave, where the co-parent will take responsibility for welcoming the child into the family but will not take the primary parent leave – in cases involving the pregnancy of an employee or their partner, the person who is not pregnant is automatically the co-parent.
