Volvo Cars introduces a new gender-neutral paid parental leave plan for its more than 40,000 employees in factories and offices around the world starting April 1, 2021. The “Family Bond” plan will offer all employees with at least one year of service, a total of 24 weeks of paid leave at 80% of their base pay. Leave can be requested by either parent at any time within the first three years of the birth of a child. “We want to create a culture that supports equal parenting for all, regardless of gender,” said CEO, Hækan Samuelsson. “When parents are helped to balance the needs of work and family, it helps bridge the gender gap and enables everyone to excel in their career. We have always been a family-oriented and people-centered company. Through this parental leave scheme we are putting into practice and living our values, which in turn will strengthen our brand. ” This global policy is more inclusive and supportive than many others in the world and includes all legally recognized parents, including adoptive, foster and surrogate parents, as well as non-natural parents of same-sex couples. Some countries do not offer any paid leave to new parents or exclude certain categories of parents, particularly fathers. Volvo Cars’ global policy is inspired by the legislation of its home market, Sweden. The country is known throughout the world for its generous provisions on parental leave, which in recent decades have brought tangible benefits to both parents and children. It follows a pilot parental leave program launched in the EMEA region in 2019, in which 46% of all applicants were fathers. “This is more than just a new regulation of parental leave for our employees. It is the embodiment of our corporate culture and our values,” commented Hanna Fager, Head of Corporate and Human Resources. “We want to lead change in this industry and set a new global standard for people. By enabling all of our employees to take advantage of paid parental leave, we reduce the gender gap and create a more diverse workforce while increasing performance. and strengthening our business “. Analyzing the results of its pilot parental leave experiment, the automaker found that employees liked the new setting for being gender neutral, inclusive and adaptable to personal needs. The analysis also made it possible to obtain important insights on how to encourage even more employees to take parental leave and make parental leave the new “normal” for both parents. Some of the obstacles limiting applying for parental leave relate to parents’ concerns about the potential impact it could have on their work team, fear of any impact on long-term career opportunities, and cultural bias about what they are doing. expect from fathers in the workplace and at home. To encourage acceptance of the new system, Volvo Cars has focused on more effective communication of the new policy. By presenting 24 weeks of parental leave as a pre-selected option, the company aims to create a “default effect” as people essentially tend to stick to standard options. An ambiguous formulation has been avoided, such as ‘up to 24 weeks’, because when there is uncertainty, negative outcomes tend to be predicted. By using such tactics, Volvo Cars aims to eliminate confusion and cultural barriers and provide certainty for parents. To further demonstrate its commitment to reducing the gender gap, Volvo Cars will share its participation results over time so that other companies can learn from the Swedish experience. (ITALPRESS). tvi / com 30-Mar-21 17:24
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