Our ground-breaking approach to maternity and paternity leave

Having a child is a life-defining moment yet despite changes in legislation, both parents still do not enjoy the same parental leave benefits. At Islabikes we’ve decided to take the initiative by introducing a ground-breaking new parental leave policy.

What does this mean?

• 33 weeks at 50% of national living wage
• Additional leave if your baby is premature
• Return to work bonus of up to 1-months’ salary
• Up to 8-week phased return to work and re-induction
• Flexible working options in the first 6-months of your return
• Review of flexible working options at the end of the 6-months to determine a long-term working plan

So why is this so important?

In 2015 the government introduced shared parental leave. Less than 1% of new fathers take advantage of it. It simply isn’t working. Whilst researching the policy online, we were shocked to find only 1 company offering similar benefits. With the government’s plans not working, it’s up to industry to take up the gauntlet. The more employers that offer truly equal parental leave, the more pressure will be placed on others to follow suit.

We think it’s really important to maximise employees enjoyment of this time without having a long-term effect on their working ambitions. With expanded options for all parents, we hope that it will not only encourage more dads to spend time with their new-born but will also encourage more women back into work after having their baby and should make the transition much easier.