CPO says it's a 'simple thing' the company can do to support its employees
New Zealand-headquartered Fletcher Building is introducing 10 days of paid gender affirmation leave to support employees who are undergoing or about to start their gender transition. According to the company, the new leave aims to provide employees with paid time off to attend medical appointments related to their transition. It’s based on the employee's base salary, plus any allowances, excluding overtime, and is in addition to the worker's sick leave and other leave entitlements.
To avail the new leave policy, the employee needs to have been a permanent Fletcher Building employee for at least a year and be in the process of, or about to start, their transition.
Claire Carroll, Fletcher Building's chief people officer, described the introduction of the new leave entitlement as a "simple thing" that the company can do for its employees.
"We realised that introducing gender affirmation leave, along with Transitioning at Work guidelines, is another simple thing we can do to support a minority in our community who needs it and for whom it is incredibly meaningful. Plus, it is important because it sends a sign of support for the entire Rainbow Community and any future employees," Carroll said.
The company is also introducing its Transitioning at Work Guidelines aimed to help transitioning employees through the process, as well as to provide guidance for managers and colleagues on how to show support and respect for their transitioning co-workers.
"One of our values is 'Better Together' and we've kept that in mind as we worked with our Rainbow network to create these guidelines for our people, because protecting and caring for each other while openly supporting diversity is how we really are truly better together on a day-to-day basis," Carroll said.
Read more: ANZ launches six-week paid Gender Affirmation Leave
Storm Jury, a transwoman employee working at Fletcher Building's Tradelink business in Australia, said she cried when she first heard about the new leave policy.
"A business committing to this is such a huge deal for people in my community. Transitioning means different things to each person who goes through it. It is very dynamic and individual, so having the leave to do whatever you require as part of your transition and take your own path is really helpful," Jury said.
The company's new leave policy was introduced on International Coming Out Day on Oct. 11. It adds to previous initiatives from Fletcher Building to make their organisation diverse and welcoming. These initiatives include introducing gender-neutral bathrooms and adding Pride and Rainbow Commitment to new employee inductions.
