Global genderneutral parental leave
What did you want to achieve?
ABB’s gender-neutral parental leave program supports an inclusive working environment.
As part of our commitment to establish a more inclusive and equitable working environment, we introduced a global gender-neutral parental leave program in 2021.
In the new program, both primary and secondary caregivers are entitled to a specified period of paid leave upon the arrival of a new child, whether through birth, adoption or surrogacy.
This program embodies ABB’s commitment to the value of care and reinforces our sustainability agenda’s pledge to advance social progress within both ABB and the communities we engage with. It stands as a demonstration of our support for employees who are parents, contributing to providing the next generation with a stable foundation and solidifying ABB’s reputation as a preferred employer.
What did you do?
We implemented a gender-neutral and inclusive worldwide parental leave policy that applies to both primary and secondary caregivers. Primary caregivers are eligible for 12 weeks of paid leave, while secondary are entitled for 4 weeks of paid leave. These timelines serve as the universal baseline across all nations. In other words, if the local legislative standards are more generous, they stand to prevail.
Furthermore this policy is available for full time and qualified fixed-term contract employees. Those entitled should take the leave within a 12-month window following the birth or adoption of the child. These leave days will align with any paid parental leave mandated by local laws and regulations.
What are the results so far?
At ABB we want to foster an inclusive, flexible and fair workplace to enable our employees to thrive during all phases of the employee life cycle. Our parental leave program does not only benefit our working parents, but drives trust, engagement and retention across the entire organization.
What have you learned?
The pivotal elements for success include high inclusion scores in our employee engagement survey and a significant uptake of parental leave among employees. And even more importantly, pride and a strong sense of belonging across the organization.
