"Further changes will come into place on September 1, 2020, when the unpaid
parental leave entitlement will be extended to 26 weeks.
The Court of Appeal held that failing to match pay for shared
parental leave to the level of maternity pay is neither direct nor indirect discrimination.
Parental leave policies are an indicator of a country's approach to gender equality.
Some new parents may choose to take personal paid time off in lieu of unpaid
parental leave, saving their leave to use specifically after birth.
In view of an overarching goal of gender equality, the concerned Ministry of Pakistan should make
parental leave gender neutral and make it mandatory across the board in public as well as private institutions.
Is an employer able to put restrictions on the taking of
parental leave? A.
Coun Atkinson, launching the motion, argued adopting the Local Government Association's (LGA) Labour Women's Taskforce policy around
parental leave would help "bring the council into the 21st century".
However, the case of Hextall, heard by the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) at the beginning of 2018, may open the door to claims from male employees that failure to provide the same enhanced shared
parental leave, in line with that of maternity leave, could be indirectly discriminatory against men.
Three years ago, Microsoft began requiring major suppliers to provide paid time off for workers, and
parental leave was described as a reasonable next step.
These firms also increasingly offer extended
parental leave benefits and encourage more lawyers to work remotely and use flexible hours.<br />Through itsWomen's Initiative, Baker Donelson has implemented numerous key initiatives designed to create an environment where female attorneys thrive, including an industry-leading
parental leave policy, a firm-wide mentoring program for women, a program that awards business development grants to women attorneys, and a training program designed to help women attorneys achieve equity shareholder status.<br />Women serve in key leadership roles across Baker Donelson.
EY has announced a new
parental leave policy for new mothers and fathers, extending maternity leave in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to 16 weeks and granting a paternity leave of one week.