Standard Life Aberdeen improves parental leave

Life next year should get a lot easier for new parents working at Standard Life Aberdeen next year.

From January 2020, the asset manager is introducing a policy of nine months paid parental leave for all new parents, regardless of gender.

The new policy, part of a wider desire to across financial services to improve the industry’s image in terms of diversity and how family friendly it is, will apply to all UK employees, regardless of length of service and will be extended to those adopting or having a child via surrogate.

The already-generous package will include extra paid leave for parents with a child born prematurely. 

Rose Thomson, chief HR officer at Standard Life Aberdeen, said: “Current arrangements, whether statutory or enhanced, can mean new parents have to make difficult decisions about who can afford to take leave and whether one parent’s time with the child takes away from the [other’s]. We think that needs to change.

“We are a family-friendly employer and our new policy represents a potentially life changing opportunity for new parents, whatever their family circumstances. We know that our people need to balance their work lives with their personal lives and this new policy is one example of the actions we’re taking to help them maintain that balance.”