Family Policies (Childcare Leave Policies, Pregnancy Loss Leave, Fertility Treatment Leave and Domestic Violence policy)

Together these policies aim to provide a comprehensive and compassionate support system to employees facing various life events related to family and personal health, ensuring a balance between personal needs and work responsibilities. These policies allow for expanded leave options, increased financial assistance, supportive resources and job safety whilst fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all employees and their families.

Childcare leave policies: The set of childcare leave policies allows new birthing, non-birthing and adoptive parents to temporarily step away from their professional responsibilities, enabling them to focus on their health and the care of their new family member. The policy is designed to give parents the time, resources, benefits and support to parents during the early months of parenthood, whether through birth or adoption.
Pregnancy Loss Leave Policy: This policy acknowledges the grief and loss parents suffer as a result of pregnancy loss, whether it happens directly to them, their partner or their baby’s surrogate. Pregnancy loss is sadly more common than many people think. With out Pregnancy Loss Leave policy, this allows employees to manage their emotional and physical wellbeing during an incredibly difficult time through support, help, and information to employees.
Fertility Treatment Policy: This policy provides increased flexibility in working hours or temporary adjustments to help manage time-off for critical treatments. We acknowledge the road to parenthood is not always easy and we have developed this policy as an additional support to our employees so they can attend appointments, procedures and have the necessary recovery time. 
Domestic Violence policy: In this policy, we want to ensure that everyone recognizes the severity of this issue. In this policy, we aim to assist any employee facing such challenges with support and guidance.

Childcare Leave Policies: The objective of these policies is to promote work-life balance,gender equality in caregiving, and support the health and wellbeing of both the birthing, non-birthing or adopting parents and their child during this important period in their family life. The objectives are to allow new parents to temporarily step away from their professional responsibilities, enabling them to focus on their health and the care of their new family member. It ensures that employees can return to their position with the assurance that their job will be protected and waiting for them once their leave period concludes. 
Pregnancy Loss Leave Policy: This policy aims to provide compassionate support for employees who are grieving a pregnancy loss. Allowing for them to have the time to recover physically and emotionally without an additional concern for their job and financial worry. 
Fertility Treatment Policy: This policy aims to support employees in their pursuit of parenthood by providing the time and flexibility needed for fertility treatments, without penalizing their current career as well as their career progression. It opens up the opportunity to create a culture of openness & support. 
Domestic Violence Policy: The objective of this policy is to protect employees from potential abusive situations and ensure that they have the necessary time, resources and support to address their personal safety and recover needs, in a safe and confidential manner.

Childcare Leave Policies: These policies combine statutory leave with our additional leave, resulting a fully paid leave period of 16 weeks, which applies to birthing, non-birthing and adoptive parents. These policies also support phased return to work, allowing employees to return to work at only 80% of their contractual hours whilst receiving 100% of their contractual pay for a 6 month period.
Pregnancy Loss Leave Policy: Employees are entitled to 10 days of paid leave if they suffer a pregnancy loss (miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or any medical process of ending a pregnancy).
Fertility Treatment Policy: This policy offers 10 days paid leave per year for employees undergoing fertility treatment and 2 days paid leave for partners, and increased working time flexibility or temporary adjustments to working hours
DV policy: This policy allows for employees to take up to 10 days additional paid leave to support with recovery, as well as the opportunity to seek professional help, support their children and attend appointments (if necessary). Employees also have access to support and specialist counselling and flexible working arrangements and changes to work contact details. Employees supporting victims of domestic abuse may also receive support, such as leave for accompanying victims to appointments.

The different leave policies that we offer provide necessary support for employees during critical times, ensuring they can balance their personal and professional lives effectively. Such supportive policies contribute to the overall well-being of employees, leading to a healthier and more productive workforce.
These policies collectively contribute to a supportive work environment, promoting employee wellbeing,gender equality, and work-life balance. They ensure that employees can manage personal challenges without compromising their professional responsibilities, as implementing these policies fosters a culture of empathy, support, and inclusivity.
Overall, these policies create a supportive and inclusive work environment that benefits both employees and the organization, leading to a more engaged, loyal, and productive workforce.

Connecting to Diversity, Equity &inclusion (DEI):
These policies go beyond standard HR practices by intentionally addressing the distinct challenges that employees from diverse backgrounds may face in their personal and professional lives. By acknowledging experiences such as pregnancy loss, fertility treatments, and domestic abuse, the organisation is actively promoting equity and psychological safety. This inclusive approach ensures that all employees — regardless ofgender identity, family situation or personal circumstances — feel respected, supported, and empowered to thrive at work without compromising their wellbeing. In doing so, these policies help to build a culture rooted in empathy,fairness, and belonging — the foundations of a truly inclusive workplace.