London Metropolitan University is now offering its workforce twice the number of parental leave entitlements than have been available previously.
The move includes the enhancement of maternity, adoption and paternity leave rights, which the university says demonstrates a major improvement in its employee benefits provision.
Under the new policy, qualifying new parents taking maternity and adoption leave will have 52 weeks of leave on full pay, while those taking paternity leave will benefit from extended fully paid period of eight weeks.
According to the university, the strategic decision reflects London Met’s People Strategy, which intends to “foster a flexible, supportive, and inclusive workplace that aligns with the university’s core values and mission to transform lives through education” and contributes to the “increasing improvement in employment standards throughout the higher education sector”.
Professor Lynn Dobbs, vice-chancellor of London Metropolitan University, said: “We are proud to lead the way in supporting our staff during the most important times of their lives. By doubling our leave entitlements, we are making a clear statement about what our values of ambition and inclusivity mean in practice. It’s a pivotal step in our ongoing efforts to implement our People Strategy, ensuring London Met remains a fantastic place to work.”
As part of its commitment to providing more accessible family support, the university has also shortened the qualifying period for occupational maternity and adoption pay from 52 to 26 weeks, in line with the requirements for statutory maternity pay. It believes this will boost the work-life balance of a wider range of university employees while directly supporting its people strategy goals.
Chloe Milano, executive director of people at London Metropolitan University, added: “It’s a real source of pride to be able to offer such a generous parental leave package. The first few months of parenthood can be tough for so many reasons, so supporting our staff while they undergo this huge life change is important for London Met.
“Policies should be reviewed and updated to reflect the evolving needs of our employees, and this offering is what we consider to be a great fit for many ambitious parents we hope to retain as valuable members of our workforce for years to come. I’m so pleased to be a part of this transition.”
