Global law firm Clyde & Co extends parental leave to 26 weeks for all

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Global law firm Clyde & Co LLP has announced a new parental leave offering to all employees and partners across the firm with 12 months’ service. The offer includes 26 weeks of fully paid leave, irrespective of gender or parental role.

As of 1 May 2023 employees and partners across the firm are granted access to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, except for regions where local legislation allows for more. The firm stated that the policy aims to provide “a consistent, cohesive offering to all”.

In a move made to provide employees with “greater, more inclusive support”, the policy is gender-neutral and applies to primary and secondary parents, carers and adopters.

In addition, the offering includes:

• 10 days of fully paid leave for fertility treatment;
• four weeks fully paid (before 20 weeks pregnancy) pregnancy loss leave for women, or anyone suffering a pregnancy loss directly, and up to 26 weeks paid leave after 20 weeks pregnancy for all, regardless of gender;
• up to 12 additional weeks paid leave for parents with children in neonatal care;
• consistent access to backup childcare provision and five days of emergency leave a year; and
• parental transition coaching and parental leave sponsors for fee earners.

Carolena Gordon, senior partner at Clyde & Co, said: “Having access, no matter your gender to consistent and flexible parental leave is crucial to so many people both within our firm and across the wider world of work.”

While Kate Mathias, chief people officer at the firm, added: “We also want to ensure as many colleagues as possible benefit from the policy, which is why we’re extending this enhanced offering to those who are already new parents or may have recently returned from parental leave.”

The firm emphasised that employees can access the new policy immediately with retrospective entitlement for those already on, or recently returned from parental leave.