Parental Leave Has No Gender

“

The policy allowed me to support my partner in her transition back to work.

Billy Rebakis View Profile

Embracing and recognising the importance of parental leave is essential for all organisations that are committed to fostering gender equality and creating an inclusive workplace. In 2019, we revised our Parental Leave Policy. The first action from this review was to remove gender specific terminology and stereotypes from the policy and therefore providing all our employee’s greater scope and choice for what is best for their family.

For Clare Warren, Associate Director, what was best for her family was two different Parental Leave Policies working side by side: “My partner also having a generous parental leave scheme has been incredible for a truly equal parenting partnership”.

Our policy aims to promote gender equality and support our people to balance their work and family commitments. When accessing parental leave, Urbis employees have the flexibility to take it in a way that best suits them. This could mean:

• opting for part-time work,  
• taking leave in one single continuous period,  
• or a combination of blocks and part-time.  

“

It has been really beneficial to be able to work flexibly (both in terms of location and in hours) to enable me to care for my child, be agile when sickness strikes, and to still commit to the work I need to do.

Renee Riley View Profile

Flexibility and support is offered to our employees throughout their journey of becoming a parent, whether that’s by birth, surrogacy, foster care, guardianship, or adoption. In the unfortunate event of a pregnancy loss, we want our employees to know that they are not alone and that our Parental Leave Policy is in place to provide them with the necessary support and time they need during such a challenging period. 

We do not only focus on our employees transitioning into Parental Leave, but also their transition back to work. Returning to the workplace after parental leave is a significant transition that requires thoughtful planning and supportive policies. We have a Transition to and from Parenthood Guideline and Working Your Way with Flexible Work Guidelines aimed to support all our people. By fostering a culture of understanding and flexibility, we ensure that people come back to work smoothly, maintaining a healthy work-life balance while contributing meaningfully to our shared goals. 

These guidelines make tangible impacts onto our employees and their family lives. For Anna Barclay, Director & Partner, this flexibility helped to facilitate a smooth return to work: “Urbis was very flexible about when, how many days and which days I returned.“

“

As a breastfeeding mother, having access to the Wellness Room was crucial for my comfortable return to work.

Carla Mamaril View Profile

Since implementing our revised Parental Leave Policy, we have seen an uplift in the number of Urbis male employees accessing parental leave. We have seen a shift in perspectives and attitudes towards a work-life balance culture that is family-orientated. Tangible factors such as these all contribute to a more inclusive workplace.  

Tim Connoley, Director & Partner, has seen this shift amongst our workplace. “The primary carer leave for fathers has become so much more accepted in recent years. There is much more appreciation of people choosing to take this option and it has made managing work a lot easier.“

We are continually reviewing our Parental Leave Policy and other benefits to provide our employees with the appropriate support for the challenges they face and offering competitive entitlements that equal or surpass some of the best practice in the market.   

Feeling supported to embrace family life is necessary for employees to have a true work-life balance. At Urbis, we recognise and embody that Parental Leave has no gender.