At Coates Group, we understand the importance of supporting our Crew if they begin a new chapter in their lives - parenthood.
In partnership with our Equality & Empowerment (E&E) committee and People & Culture team, we are proud to announce Coates Group’s Global Parental Leave Policy.
We know how important it is to support our people if they choose to become parents, so our policy is designed to provide financial support as well as ensure our people continue to feel connected whilst on leave and supported when they return to work.
Our policy is created with all caretakers in mind including primary and secondary carers, same-sex couples, single parents as well as those looking to pursue adoption or surrogacy.
It also forms part of our broader Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) strategy, and applies to our Crew from all over the world, regardless of office location or the country they reside in.
In creating the policy, we also considered the extremely challenging emotional and physical situations that some expectant mothers may endure. As a result, the policy offers additional paid leave for unfortunate circumstances such as miscarriages and stillbirths, to allow time for parents to grieve and heal.
We also know that having access to our Flex Work Program (a component of our broader Thrive Program) allows for better management of personal and family commitments such as attending antenatal care or assisted conception appointments. It was important that the policy and program could enable our Crew to more easily and flexibly manage their work-life balance when preparing to become a parent.
“We also understand how critical it is to support our Crew when new parents or caretakers return to work,” says Leo Coates, CEO of Coates Group.
“As a parent myself, it is so important to know that you can have that time out when you’re expecting a child and that your company can support you to do that,” said Lisa Taylor, Chief People Officer at Coates Group.
It’s important for us to encourage our people to also consider what’s right for them when returning to work such as whether they prefer to continue as full-time employees or instead utilise our Flex Work Program with part-time or job share work.
We’re aiming to create a culture to truly look out for one another, and this period of supporting the members of our Crew plays such a critical role in their transition back into the workplace.
Our approach also provides opportunities for parents to remain connected (if they wish to) during parental leave as well as having a network of other parents to connect with upon their return to work. At Coates, we pride ourselves on being a Crew who cares for and supports each other, and our global parental leave policy is just another example of that.
