Sunday Tribune reports that vehicle manufacturer Volvo’s paid gender-neutral parental leave policy that was recently launched in SA has been described as a “progressive” step towards gender equity in the workplace.
Volvo said the perk not only provided fathers with more time off work to care for children, it also allowed the working careers of women to flourish because the child care burden was not placed solely on their shoulders. From 1 May, Volvo SA employees who have been with the company for more than a year are afforded six months’ leave with 80% pay when a child entered their lives. This is not only for mothers and fathers, but for same-sex parents and parents of adopted children. “It will improve work-life balance, boost family time and fits in with a human-centric company like ours,” said Greg Maruszewski, MD of Volvo SA. Volvo’s improvement is the first of its kind in the local motor industry. The standard provision for mothers is four months of paid maternity leave from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), which is capped to a gross salary of R14,872. For women in the higher salary brackets, employers usually cover between 75% and 100% of the deficit. Fathers, adoptive fathers and same-sex partners get three days of family responsibility leave when babies arrive. However, under the Labour Laws Amendment Act, which was proposed in November, they will receive 10 days of paternal leave once it has been approved.
- Read the full original of Mervyn Naidoo’s report on the above at Sunday Tribune
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