Vodafone's "pioneering" new maternity leave policy

Vodafone is set to launch a new global maternity leave policy, promising new levels of financial support and flexibility to its employees.
 
The policy means that primary caregivers who return to work within 12 months are paid in full for 30 hour weeks, which lasts for six months. This is designed to allow new parents an extra day at home with their child.
 
Expectant mothers will also be offered 16 weeks’ pro-rata paid leave, coinciding with the increase in PPL being introduced on April 1.
 
“Family is important to us and we’re always looking for ways to make things easier for our mums and caregivers,” said Vodafone NZ CEO Russell Stanners. “Juggling career, family and life can be tricky, so we want caregivers in our organisation to know we offer both support and flexibility when they choose to return to work to progress their careers. Our initiative is a special way of ensuring that we support our people; our most valuable resource.”
 
He added that the new policy is estimated to save a working parent $1800 in childcare in their first six months back at work, as well as an additional 240 hours with their child.
 
Stanners added that Vodafone is dedicated to attracting and retaining a female workforce.
 
“At the moment, 37 per cent of our employees in New Zealand are female, with women making up 38 per cent of our senior leadership team,” he said. “We believe this new maternity policy will play an important role in helping to increase those figures.”
 
The policy in New Zealand is part of the company’s wider global initiative, which Vodafone Group believes will support over 1000 women across the globe, including women in countries with little or no statutory maternity care.