Starting Jan. 1, 2017, all Ikea employees will receive up to four months of paid parental leave. Regardless if employees are paid hourly or by salary, working in the stores or in the corporate offices, male or female, regardless of sexual orientation or even giving birth, adopting or fostering a child, all workers will have access to this groundbreaking policy.
This already expands on Ikea’s previous benefits that granted five days of paid leave to new parents, along with eight weeks of paid disability leave for new mothers. Time and time again, the company has always been hailed as a great place to work because of their benefits. In 2012 and 2013, Forbes deemed the company one of the best retail companies to work for. In March 2016, Ikea was listed on the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® List.
Ikea’s move is an effort improve the company’s productivity levels and to attract and retain talent in today’s labor market. Providing paid parental leave helps companies recruit — and retain — top talent. This significantly lowers the turnover rate, which in turn, may save money since the replacement process for employees can get costly.
Ikea’s new parental leave program is an investment they’re willing to take with the anticipation of potentially great payoffs. Many factors go into choosing an aggressive employee leave program. If it is right for your company, I can help putting one in place.
—
Stephen Koppekin is a seasoned professional in labor and employment matters. As a supporter of gender equality in the workplace, Stephen has written about the challenges females encounter in the workplace. You can read his other blog about gender equality here.