Ashurst announces new global parental policy

Ashurst has announced the introduction of a new global parental leave policy providing a minimum entitlement for all working parents regardless of the jurisdiction in which they are based.

Key aspects of the new policy include:

• Changing terminology to reflect the modern family – recognising and accommodating all diversity and inclusion strands.
• For primary carer leave (commonly termed maternity leave), the carer will be entitled to a minimum of 18 weeks of full pay and if there is government funding, the firm will top this up to the equivalent of full pay. Primary carers will be entitled to take 52 weeks of leave, comprising 18 weeks paid and the remainder unpaid.
• For parental leave (commonly termed paternity leave), the parent will receive two weeks of full pay within the first eight weeks of the child’s arrival. This matches the entitlement in the UK, doubles the entitlement in Australia and in most other countries either significantly enhances what exists already or introduces paid leave for the first time.
• For Ashurst partners, the new policy will see the introduction of partner parental leave globally, which allows for the secondary carer 18 weeks of distributions during the first 12 months following the arrival of a child.

Where there is already a more generous provision in place, like in the UK where primary carers already receive 26 weeks at full pay or where the firm has secondary carer leave, shared parental policies already in place will remain.

Commenting, Claire Townshend, Head of HR for EMEA and US and Global Head, HR Operations, said, "This is a key example of our continued commitment to provide support and flexibility to all working parents. It is also an important step in creating a more inclusive workplace for everyone and supporting our working parents.”

For regions such as Hong Kong, these changes represent a massive step forward compared to the legal minimums provided by the employment ordinance and are another way in which companies are looking to recruit and retain the best talent.