RSA Insurance is to introduce equal parental leave from January 2024 in order to add to its family-friendly provision.
The new policy will offer all parents up to 52 weeks of equal leave, 26 of which will be fully paid. It will apply to any employee with six months’ service, whose child or children are born or adopted after 1 January 2024.
It has made the move to enhance and equalise parental leave to allow all staff to share in the first months of parenthood and re-balance the responsibilities of care.
The policy aligns with the organisation’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy and has been designed to better support all staff, challenge outdated gender norms, and encourage all parents to take time out to care for their child.
In addition, RSA has partnered with From Babies with Love, a not-for-profit parental leave gift service that funds the care of orphaned and abandoned children around the world. The firm will send all of its new parent employees a From Babies with Love baby box of organic and ethically sourced baby clothes to help during their first weeks of parenthood.
Gemma Jackson, head of diversity, equity and inclusion at RSA, said: “I’m delighted we’ve made this new commitment to further the support available to families at RSA. Gender should never be a barrier to spending time with your new child, particularly during those first few months, which are so important for those welcoming new family members.”
“It’s also the latest step in our ambition to be leading in our sector on diversity, equity and inclusion by 2026. Equal parental leave is known to be a key enabler in improving gender equality in the workplace and contributes to driving down the gender pay gap, which remains a target for improvement across the industry. We hope that this new policy will help to increase opportunities for colleagues and improve equity across the organisation.”