To ensure parental leave equity, set generous global minimums, exceed local laws, and offer portable and inclusive benefits for all genders and family types. Centralize guidelines with local flexibility, provide paid top-ups, benchmark regularly, educate managers, and align with DEI goals.
How Can Organizations Equitably Design Parental Leave Policies Across Global Teams?
AdminTo ensure parental leave equity, set generous global minimums, exceed local laws, and offer portable and inclusive benefits for all genders and family types. Centralize guidelines with local flexibility, provide paid top-ups, benchmark regularly, educate managers, and align with DEI goals.
Empowered by Artificial Intelligence and the women in tech community.
Like this article?
Flexible Work & Caregiver-Friendly Benefits
Interested in sharing your knowledge ?
Learn more about how to contribute.
Sponsor this category.
Start with a Global Minimum Standard
To ensure fairness, set a global "floor" for parental leave that reflects the most generous offers across core markets or exceeds international minimums. This minimizes disparities between employees in different locations and demonstrates a commitment to equity, even where local laws are less progressive.
Supplement Local Legal Requirements
Organizations should meet or exceed statutory leave entitlements in every country. Where national laws are less generous, supplement them with additional company-paid leave, so all parents—regardless of location—receive comparable support during this crucial life event.
Create Portable Benefits for Expats and Remote Workers
For international assignees or remote team members, establish portable parental leave benefits. Allow these employees to access either their home country’s policy or the policy of their host/employer country, whichever is more favorable, preventing disadvantage due to geographic assignment.
Offer Gender-Neutral and Inclusive Leave Policies
Design policies that are inclusive of all family models and genders. Move beyond "maternity" and "paternity" distinctions to offer equal leave for all primary and secondary caregivers, covering adoption, surrogacy, and same-sex couples, which ensures organizational equity and inclusivity.
Centralize Policy Guidelines with Local Flexibility
Develop a core set of company-wide parental leave principles. Allow local HR teams some flexibility to tailor implementation for cultural norms and legal complexities, but require that all plans meet or exceed central guidelines to ensure consistency and fairness.
Provide Paid Top-Ups and Return-to-Work Programs
In locations with limited paid leave or where social security covers only part of an employee’s salary, offer company-paid top-ups. Additionally, implement transition programs, phased returns, and flexible schedules upon return to work, ensuring all parents have the support needed to reintegrate.
Regularly Benchmark Against Best Practices and Solicit Feedback
Continually compare policies to industry benchmarks globally, and regularly gather input from employees across regions. This allows organizations to identify gaps, update policies, and stay competitive while addressing the evolving needs of a diverse workforce.
Communicate Transparently and Educate Managers
Ensure all employees know their entitlements by communicating policies clearly and accessibly in every region. Train managers to support team members equally, avoiding any stigma or career penalties associated with taking leave.
Factor in Cultural Attitudes and Take-Up Rates
Customize communication and support around parental leave to address local cultural barriers—some countries may have generous leave on paper, but low take-up due to stigma. Encourage uptake by setting positive examples at the leadership level and normalizing paternity and caregiver leaves.
Integrate Parental Leave with Broader DEI Initiatives
Parental leave should be one part of a comprehensive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategy. When designing such policies, assess broader workforce needs—such as child care support, lactation resources, and anti-bias training—to ensure equitable outcomes throughout the employee lifecycle.
What else to take into account
This section is for sharing any additional examples, stories, or insights that do not fit into previous sections. Is there anything else you'd like to add?