Ikea US has enhanced its paid parental leave policy to offer both salaried and hourly staff up to four months of paid leave.
Effective from 1 January 2017, employees who have been with the retail organisation for over a year will be able to take up to three months of paid parental leave, receiving 100% of their base pay for the first six weeks and 50% of their base pay for an additional six weeks.
Staff who have worked at Ikea US for three or more years can take up to four months of paid parental leave, receiving 100% of base pay for the first eight weeks and 50% of base pay for a further eight weeks.
The enhanced paid parental leave policy is applicable for mothers, fathers, adoptive and foster parents. It will be offered in addition to the six to eight weeks of short-term disability leave, which is available to all employees.
Ikea US is implementing the new parental leave policy to ensure that employees have the opportunity to bond with their new child and spend time together as a family.
The organisation is also introducing a sabbatical programme for US staff, which aims to enable employees to take time out to refresh and engage in personal and professional growth and development.
Lars Petersson, president at Ikea US, said: “We believe time with family and friends is so important for a healthy work-life balance and a happy and productive workforce. This benefit, which applies to all parents, will give our [employees] the opportunity to spend more time with their families when welcoming a child. Our [employees] are our most important resource, which is why we continue to invest in helping them reach their dream.”