Parental leave company policy

Policy brief & purpose

Our parental leave company policy outlines our provisions for our employees who have children. We want everyone in our company to be able to balance their job and family duties; work shouldn’t unduly hinder a parent’s responsibilities toward their child or consistently prevent them from spending time together.

Regarding pay during family leave, we will always follow legal guidelines where they exist. In counties or states where paid family leave isn’t mandatory, we will provide paid leave according to this company policy.

Scope

This paid parental leave policy applies to all employees who are parents or will become parents in the near future.

In this policy, we define a ‘child’ as someone who is under 18 years old. For the purposes of providing parental leave, we don’t differentiate among biological children, adoptive children and step-children, as long as they’re under the custody or care of an employee.

Policy elements

Our parental leave company policy addresses every need associated with the expectancy or care of a child. It includes paternity leave, maternity leave, adoption leave and any other leave that parents might need:

Maternity leave

What is maternity leave? It’s a temporary absence from an employee’s position and will be granted to support expectant mothers who require time off for pregnancy, childbirth recovery and child care. We have a dedicated maternity leave policy you can look at for more information.

See our maternity leave policy template to craft an effective policy for your own company.

Length and compensation will depend on the laws of the country / state you reside in or our company policy, whichever is greater. Our company offers [four months of paid maternity leave] plus [two months of unpaid leave if you need more time to recover from labor – in this case, you may need to bring doctor’s notes to HR]. If there are legal provisions specifically for maternity leave that exceed our company policy, the law will apply.

While you’re on paid maternity leave, your position, benefits and pay remain the same. If a larger scale change needs to happen for organizational purposes, and your job is affected, we’ll keep you informed and discuss solutions according to the law. In any case, you will never be victimized or disadvantaged because you’re a mother or because you’re on maternity leave.

Paternity leave

What is paternity leave? It’s a temporary absence from an employee’s position and applies to employees who identify as male who require time to care for an infant. We will grant paternity leave to allow fathers to care for and bond with their newborn child. We have a dedicated paid paternity leave policy where you can find more information.

Length and compensation will depend on the laws of the country / state you reside in or our company policy, whichever is greater. Our company offers [four months of paid paternity leave]. If there are legal provisions specifically for paternity leave that exceed our company policy, the law will apply.

Just like with maternity leave, your position, benefits and pay remain the same and we will find solutions when any necessary changes need to be done.

Adoption Leave

What is adoption leave? It’s a temporary absence from any employee’s position that applies to those who have recently become legal guardians of a child. Our paid adoption leave allows bonding time with that child. You can also use part of your adoption leave to go to appointments or meetings related to the adoption procedure. Ask HR about what documents you need to bring to use leave for this reason.

Our company offers [four months of paid adoption leave]. If there are legal provisions specifically for adoption leave that exceed our company policy, the law will apply.

Other parental leave

Parents who require time off to see to various affairs regarding their children may qualify for a certain amount of paid parental leave. For example, you can get parental leave if you want to:

• Take your child to the hospital or a doctor’s appointment
• Care for a sick child
• Visit current or new schools
• Attend child counseling sessions

We will comply with legal guidelines that may exist. If there aren’t any legal provisions in the country or state you reside in, our company will offer [six days] of paid parental leave per year on top of any maternity and paternity leave or paid time off.

Note that in some countries, parents may be allowed to share their leave with their partners (e.g. mothers can pass on the remainder of their leave to their partners) or take it consecutively instead of together. Wherever these arrangements are possible or mandatory, we will follow the law and try to assist our employees in the best way possible.

We may consider flexible work arrangements if you need them for another [year] after the end of your maternity or paternity leave.

Procedure

If you need to request maternity or paternity leave, you must always give notice to your supervisor and HR, [at least four months before your expected start of leave]. We can make exceptions when there are unforeseen circumstances that force you to take leave earlier.

When parental leave for other reasons is needed, please inform your supervisor [at least two days in advance]. [Send your request via our HRIS.]

You can contact HR for information if you have any questions to ask.

 

Disclaimer: This policy template is meant to provide general guidelines and should be used as a reference. It may not take into account all relevant local, state or federal laws and is not a legal document. Neither the author nor Workable will assume any legal liability that may arise from the use of this policy.

Further reading

• The Family and Medical Leave Act (US Department of Labor)
• The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
• Parental Leaves of Big Multinationals

What states have paid family leave?

• Only these 5 states have paid family-leave laws – “D.C. and five states — California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Washington — have paid family-leave programs.”

Related policies:

• Workplace Breastfeeding Policy