Australian social tech platform, Linktree, has announced a new world-class parental leave policy that aims to remove the barriers that women face in the workforce.
Linktree will help all parents with allowances for family planning, touch points within 18 weeks of paid leave, antenatal education and reintegration into the workforce.
This includes adoptive or same sex parents, foster parents, or those in kinship and surrogacy arrangements to achieve career goals while balancing family life.
What is the basis for Linktree’s parental leave policy?
With 75% of unpaid domestic and caring work completed by women globally, companies like Linktree have a role to play in supporting a shift in the status quo.
The over-reliance on women to take on the unpaid domestic labour associated with care giving is a contributor to inequality and the disproportionate burnout rates of women.
The new parental leave policy is available to Linktree employees and highlights the importance of an experience-led and holistic offering to support employee retention.
Key features of the Linktree policy include
- 18 weeks leave for all genders, all family constructs.
- Flexibility and paid leave to attend IVF/fertility appointments and antenatal appointments for all genders.
- Stillbirth and infant loss provisions included for all genders.
- Uprise EAP: counsellors with specialisation and education which includes perinatal and postnatal health.
- Access to 10 “keep in touch” days and training and tools for managers/leaders.
- Back-up care and emergency care support for use as needed.
- $500 stipend to support a workplace return experience (for remote office setups, expressing devices as needed etc.)
Responses to Linktree’s parental leave policy
Global Head of People and Culture at Linktree, Isa Notermans said, “There is more to parental leave than simply giving people time off and we don’t think that any parent should have to choose between two incredibly vital roles.”
“Active working parents are some of our greatest gifts and we understand the challenges they face in finding a balance between work and home responsibilities.”
“Data shows that 70% of parents and carers find it difficult to balance commitment to work and family, while only a third of parents felt supported by managers upon their return to work.”
“Our hope is that by offering a progressive parental leave policy and experience that aligns with the realities of being a working parent today, we will create a workplace that allows every parent to bring their best self to life”.
Jodi Geddes, Co Founder of parental support network, Circle In said, “Circle In is very pleased to see such support for women in the workplace from a global organisation like Linktree.”
“A progressive policy to address the barriers and inequalities associated with balancing parenthood and a career, helps more women to achieve what they want in a career”.
Linktree’s parental leave policy is available to all, full-time and part-time employees.
