Global telco powerhouse Vodafone announced today that all its employees worldwide will be offered 16 weeks of fully-paid parental leave.

The follows the introduction of a new global policy designed to support families by giving every parent the opportunity to have more time with children new to their family.

Flexibility

Any employee whose partner is having a baby, adopts a child or becomes a parent through surrogacy will have the flexibility to take up to 16 weeks paid leave at any time during the first 18 months.

Vodafone said employees will also be able to phase their return from parental leave by working the equivalent of a 30-hour week at full pay for a further six months.

Inclusion

By the end of March 2021, Vodafone’s parental leave will be available to all non-birthing parents – regardless of their gender, sexual orientation or length of service – across Vodafone’s 24 markets and operations in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and the US.

“Diversity and inclusion are core to our beliefs and purpose at Vodafone”, Vodafone Group CEO Nick Read said.

“We are proud to support all families by giving every parent the opportunity to have more time with their children, without worrying about the impact on their finances or careers.”

The new global parental leave policy further underlines Vodafone’s strong commitment to diversity and gender equality and will make a significant difference to thousands of Vodafone employees, particularly in countries where there is little or no legal requirement to give equal support for both parents.

Global maternity policy

In March 2015, Vodafone pioneered a global maternity policy, offering women across Vodafone’s markets and operations a minimum of 16 weeks fully paid maternity leave and a 30-hour week at full pay for the first six months after their return to work.

The London FTSE 100-listed company launched the ReConnect programme in 2017 to attract talented women who have left the workplace for several years – often to raise a family – who want to return to work but are struggling to make the professional connections needed or refresh the skills required.