IAG New Zealand has launched a new parental leave benefits package that aims to help new parents balance their careers and building a family.
The gender-neutral package includes 14 weeks of paid leave at full pay for the primary caregiver,
on top of the current government paid leave allowance of 26 weeks. Secondary carers will receive three weeks’ leave at full pay, in addition to a further unpaid five weeks’ leave.
The leave package also includes a 3% KiwiSaver contribution for up to the full 12 months of their parental leave entitlement. This excludes the period where employees are taking primary carer leave, as usual KiwiSaver contributions apply, IAG said.
Under the previous arrangement, KiwiSaver employer contributions were paused when an employee went on parental leave.
“It’s important that our people feel supported as they begin their parenting journey,” said Amanda Whiting (pictured above), chief executive of IAG New Zealand. “Becoming a parent, including through surrogacy or adoption, is exciting and wonderful, but can also be a time of financial stress. We hope that through this package, our people will be provided with the flexibility and support they need to manage this significant time in their lives.”
Whiting said that IAG designed the leave benefits to be flexible and adaptable to each employee’s unique situations.
“Having gender-neutral parental leave benefits are a small way we’re helping to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace,” Whiting said. “It enables the parents, not the organisation or government, to choose who the primary caregiver will be during the first 12 months of a baby being born.”
IAG New Zealand recently received a Level 4 FlexReady certification from Flex Careers, making it the first employer in New Zealand to do so.
“There are so many benefits of having a flexible and dynamic approach to the way we work, which
is why we provide our people with a range of options like flexible hours, job sharing, secondments, and career breaks,” Whiting said. “Many people want or need to work differently, and while this is particularly helpful for our working parents, it’s just as valuable for everyone right across the company, whether they care for an elderly relative or have community or volunteer obligations.”
The parental leave and flexible work benefits complement IAG NZ’s Circle In digital platform, which offers support, resources, stories, and expert advice for carers.
“Being a caregiver doesn’t stop once people come back to work after parental leave,” Whiting said. “We want our people to know they have our support, whatever stage of life they’re at. For us, taking parental leave or moving to flexi-time is absolutely part of everyday life at IAG.”
