New benefits 'underscore the company's commitment to workplace equality and career development'
Trip.com Group has announced that it is providing an additional three days of paid childcare leave to all of its employees across the world.
The additional childcare leave will apply to employees with children under 18 years old, according to the company, which estimated that it will benefit around 10,000 of its staff globally.
"Raising a child requires more than just financial support — it involves time, care, and a strong support system," a spokesperson from the organisation's HR team said in a statement.
"By enhancing our childcare leave policy, we aim to give parents the flexibility they need to be present for their children while maintaining their careers."
According to Trip.com, the additional paid leave also expands to parents with older children as they acknowledge the need to support employees at different stages of parenthood.
The additional paid leave expands the travel agency's family-friendly policies, which include childcare subsidies, hybrid work arrangements, and on-site childcare support.
In 2023, the company allocated about one billion yuan, approximately US$137.6 million, in childcare subsidies.
Under the benefit, employees who have been with the company for over three years were offered an annual cash bonus of 10,000 yuan (approximately US$1,376.44) for each child from birth until the age of five.
It delivered gains to more than 1,130 employees worldwide, who used the benefit for formula, diapers, healthcare, and education, according to Trip.com.
It added that its hybrid work arrangements, which designated remote work days, also saved employees an estimated 900,000 hours of commuting time.
The travel agency said the work arrangement improved employee satisfaction, enhanced work-life balance, and helped reduce traffic congestion in cities across the world.
"These efforts, combined with paid parental leave and childcare subsidies, underscore the company's commitment to workplace equality and career development," the company said in its media release.
Trip.com's expanded paid childcare leave comes as organisations highlight the importance of employer-supported childcare across the world.
In Egypt, a study from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Children's Fund in collaboration with the government there in 2022 found that providing childcare benefits and services at work can lead to:
"This in turn leads to higher profits and business growth," the ILO said in a media release.
Andrea Herron, vice president of HR at WebMD Health Services, previously urged employers to explore benefits that can ease childcare burden, such as:
Herron, on a blog post on WebMD Health Services, highlighted that the first step is to survey employees to determine what kind of childcare assistance that they need.
"Make sure the survey includes employees of different backgrounds and roles in the organisation to ensure everyone is represented," she said on the blog post.
