IRELAND: Bank of Ireland has tripled the length of paid paternity leave

IRELAND: The current paid paternity leave at Bank of Ireland has been tripled from two to six weeks, and the new policy is available to all workers.

Under the new policy, an employee whose partner is having a baby, adopts a child or becomes a parent through surrogacy, or who is the parent of a donor-conceived child, will have the flexibility to take six weeks of paid leave within the first six months of the child's life.

In addition to the child's father, the mother of the child's husband, civil partner, or cohabitant is also regarded as a relevant parent.

In situations where they are not eligible for adoption or maternity leave, Bank of Ireland has created the new policy to recognise the necessity for a relevant parent to form a bond with their newborn or recently placed kid.

Increased paternity leave, according to the bank, "may have a major influence on both the personal and financial welfare of colleagues and their families, and can encourage parent-child bonding, improve outcomes for children, and increase gender equity at home and in the workplace."

    

                        "Family is hugely important."

Family is really important, according to Matt Elliott, chief people officer at Bank of Ireland. We wish to foster a more encouraging and welcoming environment at the Bank while also assisting our colleagues in making the most of significant life events. With a better balance between work and family life, this updated policy gives new parents more time to prioritise their family duties. And we're determined to continue enhancing it over time.

This is one of several family-friendly upgrades we are putting into place. Our goal is to develop a more open-minded attitude to all forms of family leave, taking into account the many requirements of the contemporary family in all its forms. We'll keep looking for ways to enhance and improve what it's like for all 9,000 of our coworkers to work at Bank of Ireland.

The Bank of Ireland has also introduced other policy initiatives, such as maternity leave and benefits, menopause benefits, a surrogacy support policy, and a recently added domestic abuse policy, under which the bank offers both financial and non-financial support to employees who are victims of domestic abuse.

Bank of Ireland has also made all of its family leave policies “day-one” entitlements for colleagues, meaning they are eligible from the first day of employment.

Joanne Healy, Head of Group Employee Relations, Bank of Ireland; Matt Elliott, Chief People Officer, Bank of Ireland; and Emer Kenna, Co-Chair, Bank of Ireland I&D Parents and Carers Network.