Deloitte UK’s equal family leave policy, launched in September 2024 and offering 26 weeks (six months) of full pay from 1 January 2025, is approaching its first anniversary.
Over 625 non-birth parents have applied for leave, with 360 already taking leave, averaging 23 weeks. Nearly all of them (95%) are taking additional paid leave and 84% are taking or intending to take the full 26 weeks (six months).
Jackie Henry, managing partner for people and purpose at Deloitte (pictured) said: “Our family leave policy is a significant step towards becoming an even more family-friendly place to work. It supports our people in balancing work and family responsibilities from the early days of parenthood, ultimately fostering greater gender equality in the workplace. In addition, the further enhancements to carers’ leave, neonatal leave and fertility support normalise taking time off work for the moments that matter in life.
“It’s brilliant seeing the first colleagues benefiting from our new policy and hearing about the difference it’s making. We were confident that enhancing our family leave policies was the right thing to do, but the sheer volume of positive messages shared by our people surpassed our expectations.
“We need to keep on creating a culture where everyone feels empowered to take full advantage of the support available, without fear of stigma or career repercussions. We’ll continue to review and evolve our policies to meet our people’s changing needs.”
In September 2024, the firm also enhanced carer support, providing employees with long-term caregiving responsibilities with up to five additional paid leave days annually.
