Publikacja użytkownika Amica Group

After ten months of paid maternity and parental leave for my second child, it was my first day back to work. I wanted to share some thoughts around taking extended parental leave as a new parent while working at Airbnb: In many countries around us, it's pretty normal to be with your new child for a year or so (or even longer). In the Netherlands unfortunately it is not. It is pretty common here that mothers start working when their babies are 3 or 4 months old. I did this with my first child, so nothing wrong with going back to work if that feels right, but I found it extremely hard to survive a 40 hours working week at a fast paced company with such a small baby (try functioning with 4/5 hours sleep for at least a year with a sick kid at home half of the time). So, I wanted to do it differently this time... When I had the first conversation with my manager about wanting to stay at home for a longer period of time, at first, it felt weird to actually express my wishes. I was looking for arguments to justify staying away from work that long. My manager stopped me and said: Fai, I really don't need to know why. Take as long as you need and can. Family is your priority. We will take care of the rest. I remember I felt relieved and grateful. At Airbnb I have always felt supported and empowered as a parent and I am really happy that the company (with generous benefits), my managers and my colleagues (with endless support) gave me the opportunity to combine work and life and (sort of) balance it even through tough times. It really helped me navigating pregnancy and now parenthood. To give a little insight in Airbnb's fantastic benefits for upcoming and new parents, let me summarise a few of them: -Extended maternity leave: Airbnb pays 100% salary for an additional 6 weeks on top op the 16 weeks maternity leave in the Netherlands. -Child bonding leave for non-birthing parent, adoptive parent or surrogate parent: Airbnb pays 100% salary for 14 weeks. -'Phased return to work': work 80% whilst continuing to be paid 100% of the salary for 12 weeks. -Business travel support for new parents to attend Gathering Weeks: Airbnb pays for caregiver with a child under two traveling with you. -Welcome home new child new child gift: Employee Travel Credits and a benefit allowance. -Breast milk shipping & transportation: Airbnb covers the shipping cost for nursing parents and surrogates to transport or ship their breast milk home for business or personal travel.  -Personalized coaching and support: helping expecting and new parents navigate parenthood via Cleo, including free trainings. -And many more fantastic benefits, for example to work from anywhere up to 3 months a year. A nice one when you have children that don't go to school yet and a partner that works remote too. Are we there yet? Absolutely not. No company is perfect. We still have lots to improve. But for now, I thank Airbnb and my colleagues for all the support. Now, onwards and upwards! 🚀

Since last year, even male (!) employees are entitled to paid parental leave in the Netherlands. Still, many guys have the idea that you are not taken seriously at work if you opt to stay home with your kid; that you are perceived as unambitious or that your boss will not cooperate. Very much in line with how women and mothers have been - and still are - discriminated against in their career. That's why this story is so valuable. Four men sharing their experiences of taking full parental leave. Conclusion: this is not a big deal, men can stay home without being fired or demoted, parental leave is just as legit and important for men as for women. I know this should be evident, but theory and practice don't always match. Thank you for making this very different story Alice Boothby. And thank you Thomas Moerman for stating a good example. There's still a lot of work to be done in order to create fair chances for women and men in the Netherlands. One is the no-brainer to make parental leave just as long for women and men, reimburse all parents regardless of gender with at least 80% of the salary and above all: make paid parental leave universal and available for all.  Elections are coming up in the Netherlands, a majority of parties claim to do their utmost to improve gender equality. Great ambitions, truly. We know from research what works, and what's short-sighted populism. I e current policies. Please, stop with the populism and dare to invest in lasting equity. Get the full story in my new book 'Waarom Zweedse vrouwen niet gratis werken' published by Uitgeverij Balans.

As I return from maternity leave as the luckiest mom on earth 🐣, I am incredibly grateful for the inclusive work environment we have built at Gorgias. Becoming a parent is challenging, but it's significantly easier when you work in such a supportive environment. I keep in mind that returning to work is judged as difficult or extremely difficult by almost two-thirds of new moms! (See this insightful article from Les Echos below) As I transition back to work, I am thankful for the following benefits at Gorgias: - Flexible Work Schedule: I can work 4 days out of 5 for a full quarter with the same salary. This flexibility allows me to transition smoothly from maternity leave to full-time work. - Coaching Support: Access to coaching helps me ramp up effectively and regain my self-confidence... and this is needed! - Health and Wellness: I can benefit from chiropractic care or therapy to ensure I am in top physical and mental shape. Self-confidence is closely tied to overall health. - Community: Joining the community of Gorgias parents provides a place to connect and share experiences with others on similar journeys. "You are not alone!" I am also extremely fortunate to have relied on Andrea Blanco, who took care of the team in my absence and did a fantastic job. Feeling grateful and excited for this new chapter! https://lnkd.in/eb3AJaag

An IWG poll of working parents has revealed the critical role the hybrid work model can play in alleviating the pressure of managing childcare over the school holidays. The availability of flexible working arrangements was cited as the number one factor in helping parents reduce the stress of arranging childcare, giving them greater control over their schedules while also supporting their own health and well-being. Find out more about the research at the link below. #IWG #Research #WorkingParents #WorkLifeBalance #SchoolHolidays #Childcare #HybridWork #FlexibleWork

An IWG poll of working parents has revealed the critical role the hybrid work model can play in alleviating the pressure of managing childcare over the school holidays. The availability of flexible working arrangements was cited as the number one factor in helping parents reduce the stress of arranging childcare, giving them greater control over their schedules while also supporting their own health and well-being. Find out more about the research at the link below. #IWG #Research #WorkingParents #WorkLifeBalance #SchoolHolidays #Childcare #HybridWork #FlexibleWork

An IWG poll of working parents has revealed the critical role the hybrid work model can play in alleviating the pressure of managing childcare over the school holidays. The availability of flexible working arrangements was cited as the number one factor in helping parents reduce the stress of arranging childcare, giving them greater control over their schedules while also supporting their own health and well-being. Find out more about the research at the link below. #IWG #Research #WorkingParents #WorkLifeBalance #SchoolHolidays #Childcare #HybridWork #FlexibleWork

An IWG poll of working parents has revealed the critical role the hybrid work model can play in alleviating the pressure of managing childcare over the school holidays. The availability of flexible working arrangements was cited as the number one factor in helping parents reduce the stress of arranging childcare, giving them greater control over their schedules while also supporting their own health and well-being. Find out more about the research at the link below. #IWG #Research #WorkingParents #WorkLifeBalance #SchoolHolidays #Childcare #HybridWork #FlexibleWork

Parental leave: The words you need to understand 🧐 The language used to explain UK maternity and paternity leave policy is confusing 🤯 and some of the phrasing is mind bending. 😵💫 So here’s a jargon-busting 💣 list of common parental leave terminology you need to understand to get to grips with your parental leave policy: Statutory Maternity (SMP)  / Paternity (SPP) / Adoption Pay (SAP): The minimum amount of parental leave pay employees are entitled to if earning over £123 a week and working for the company for 41 weeks before the baby’s due date. Provided by the employer. Enhanced or Company Maternity/Paternity/Paternity Pay: Any amount given by the employer over the statutory amount. These amounts are at the discretion of the employer and can have caveats attached to them. Maternity Allowance (MA): For the self-employed or for the recently employed who don’t qualify for statutory maternity pay. Provided by the DWP. Shared Parental Leave (SPL): You can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between you and your partner. This is paid at the statutory rate. You can use SPL to take leave in blocks separated by periods of work, or take it all in one go. You can also choose to be off work together or to stagger the leave and pay. Qualifying Period: This is an 8 week period over which an average is taken to work out the amount you will be paid in the first 6 weeks of maternity pay. It is roughly from the 17th - 25th week of your pregnancy. The period ends in the 15th week before your baby is due. Use this calculator to work out what your exact qualifying period would be: https://lnkd.in/eRmAkvM3 Keeping In Touch Days (KIT days): 10 days that you can optionally work on your maternity leave. No obligation to be offered by the employer. No fixed rate of pay, just must be a minimum of national minimum wage. Clawback policy: If receiving an ‘enhanced’ parental leave policy, your company may require you to return to work for a certain period of time. If you do not return to work, you may be required to pay the enhanced pay back, as a percentage or in its entirety. MatB1 Form: the certificate (provided by a doctor or midwife) confirming that the employe is pregnant and the expected week of birth. SMP1 Form: Form that needs to be filled out by the employer if the employee isn’t eligible for statutory maternity pay. Ordinary maternity leave (OML): this is the first six months – or 26 weeks. If you return to work during this period, you have the right to return to exactly the same job that you had before you took maternity leave. Additional maternity leave (AML): this is the second six months and affects what rights you have when you go back to work. If you take more than six months’ leave, you have the right to return to the same job unless it’s no longer available. In this case, you must be given a similar job with the same pay and conditions. EWC: Expected week of childbirth/confinement

"What the hell does that mean?! 🤯" Is something Harriet M. and I would say a lot to each other in the first weeks of building Nugget Savings 🤣 There is so much confusing language 📚 when it comes to parental leave, reading company policy can be a daunting task (see also: HMRC Website 💻). As an example, to work out whether you qualify for SMP, HMRC says you need to have: "Worked for your employer continuously for at least 26 weeks continuing into the ‘qualifying week’ - the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth" ???? 😵💫 Our translation 💁🏻♀️: You need to have been employed for 41 weeks before due date, or in other words, not pregnant at the time of starting the job Anyway take a look at our jargon busting list of words you NEED to know for your parental leave ⬇️ and drop us a comment if you think we've missed anything.

An IWG poll of working parents has revealed the critical role the hybrid work model can play in alleviating the pressure of managing childcare over the school holidays. The availability of flexible working arrangements was cited as the number one factor in helping parents reduce the stress of arranging childcare, giving them greater control over their schedules while also supporting their own health and well-being. Find out more about the research at the link below. #IWG #Research #WorkingParents #WorkLifeBalance #SchoolHolidays #Childcare #HybridWork #FlexibleWork