Standard Chartered announced rollout of enhanced global parental leave benefits on Wednesday.
From today, the bank will standardise the amount of parental leave it offers, providing parents the option of undertaking more equitable caregiving responsibilities for their children, according to a statement from the bank.
Employees can access a minimum of 20 weeks of paid parental leave, irrespective of gender, relationship status or how a child comes to permanently join an employee’s family, said the bank.
Standard Chartered Group Head of Human Resources Tanuj Kapilashrami, Group Head said, “We continuously look at how we can introduce progressive benefits that drive inclusion, improve the employee experience, and help colleagues achieve their potential.
“We believe benefits such as this help address globally prevalent societal norms around traditional roles, improve workforce participation and provide options to those who want to take up shared childcare responsibilities,” he said.
“We hope that our actions inspire other employers – across industries, around the world – to take similar actions. If we take a stand together, we can build a movement that creates a more inclusive society,” he added.
Meanwhile, Standard Chartered Brunei CEO Pengiran Aki Ismasufian bin Pengiran Haji Ibrahim said “We are proud to be the first organisation in Brunei offering such ground-breaking parental leave benefits.
“The Standard Chartered group has taken great strides in their commitment to foster an equitable and inclusive culture through purpose-led benefits that aim to improve the overall work experience and help our workforce achieve its potential.
“Our people are our greatest assets and by embracing the unique diversity of our colleagues we can drive commerce and prosperity for our clients and the communities in the markets we operate in,” added the CEO.
Standard Chartered Brunei Head of Human Resources Laila Li added, “Welcoming a child into a family is and always will be a special occasion for any family and we want to support our colleagues through this core life stage event.
“By supporting working parents, we believe they can achieve a better balance between family life and their careers,” she said.
