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Arnold Thomas & Becker reveals 26-week paid parental leave policy

Mid-tier law firm Arnold Thomas & Becker (ATB) has bolstered its parental leave policy by adopting industry-leading entitlements regardless of gender.

user iconJess Feyder • 25 October 2022 • SME Law
Arnold Thomas & Becker reveals 26-week paid parental leave policy
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The move sees the Melbourne headquartered personal injury firm, which has 11 offices across three states, take a major step in helping soon-to-be mums and dads with spending more time at home during those “irreplaceable early years”, said managing director Lee Flanagan.

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“Investing in our people is a critical part of who ATB is, and our staff are our greatest assets. 

“This policy reflects our commitment to support any of our team who are seeking a rewarding career and family at the same time,” he stated. 

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“Our firm is leading the way in Australia on parental leave because providing greater flexibility in combining care and employment strengthens families and women’s career and economic opportunities.

The new parental leave will give staff up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, depending on their tenure, with the minimum of 18 weeks for those who have been with the company for 12 months.

The company will also pay superannuation whilst its staff take paid or unpaid parental leave, adding extra thousands of dollars to the superannuation fund of staff.

This new benefit is especially meaningful to women who have felt the superannuation gender gap, the firm said in a statement.

A KPMG report from 2021 found that in the years approaching retirement age, the gender superannuation gap sees women with balances around 28 per cent less than their male peers.

As part of the policy updates, ATB also introduced a miscarriage policy, where employees will receive 10 days leave if the miscarriage occurs prior to 20 weeks, and 20 days leave if the loss occurs after 20 weeks. 

ATB has also included five days of fertility leave in this updated policy, for those who need to undergo procedures.

“Our goal is to offer all staff competitive and flexible parental leave entitlements that afford them the ability to balance their family responsibilities whilst cultivating a rewarding career,” explained Shino Swaver, the firm’s general manager of people and culture.

Apart from the new parental leave policy, this year, ATB introduced four additional days of leave during the Christmas period, giving their people extra time to enjoy with family and friends without eating into their annual leave balances, bringing the total days of paid leave to 28.

The firm also offers three days of wellness leave per year for its employees, as well as a day for birthday leave and flexible working arrangements.

“We are working towards creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace culture. We take individual circumstances into consideration, and we are endeavouring to offer the right balance of work and life,” said Mr Flanagan.

“We are confident that our updated policy will have a positive impact on our employees’ lives and support their professional growth. This will further strengthen ATB being recognised as an employer of choice.”

Lawyers Weekly has reported extensively on the bolstering of parental leave and related policies by Australian law firms in recent times. You can read those stories below:

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