QBE New Zealand has introduced a new paid parental leave (PPL) initiative to make parenting, career breaks, and flexible working business as usual for both men and women – changing the face of parenting for its employees.
After recognising barriers that prevent men from playing an active role in the early years of their family lives and realising that these barriers affect women’s careers, QBE has removed gendered carer labels and instead offered flexible options to meet the unique needs of each family.
QBE’s new “Share the Care” initiative gives all new parents 12 weeks of paid leave – making QBE the first organisation in New Zealand to adopt a gender-equal, flexible paid parental leave policy.
Declan Moore, chief customer officer at QBE NZ and Pacific, said that the introduction of the initiative is instrumental in breaking down career barriers for women and encouraging men to take a more active parenting role.
“We understand there are barriers that prevent men from taking paid parental leave, which in turn impacts on women’s career trajectories once they become a parent,” Moore said.
“We plan on tackling this issue through a family-friendly workplace culture that is supported by inclusive policies and flexible opportunities for each family to navigate around. We are encouraging our senior male leaders to role model the initiative and show others it’s OK to prioritise family. All parents play a critical role in family wellbeing and we’re proud to be the first organisation in New Zealand to adopt equality in the paid parental leave space.”
