The Law Society Gazette reports that city firm Ashurst is doing away with ‘maternity’ and ‘paternity’ leave, instead rolling out 26 weeks of paid leave for all new parents ‘irrespective of gender identity’.
Under a new parental leave policy, Ashurst will offer 26 weeks of fully paid leave to all new parents across its global network, ‘to recognise the diversity of family life’. It also intends to remove gendered language so there is no distinction between primary and secondary carers, or maternity and paternity leave.
The policy also includes pregnancy loss provisions, comprising two weeks paid leave – regardless of whether it happens directly to them, their partner or their surrogate mother, plus an additional five days for related appointments. Staff who suffer pregnancy loss after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy will have access to 26 weeks paid leave.
Five days of paid leave per year is also included for anyone undergoing fertility treatments, and legal staff will be entitled to have a three-month reduction in chargeable hours targets when they return to work after having a baby.
Read the full article here.
