Australian beverage business Lion has added new paid leave options to its existing inclusion and diversity framework, including 10 days of gender affirmation leave, and has updated its people policies in order to better reflect its workforce and their needs.
The business’ families policy, Families@Lion, will now include 12 weeks of paid leave for any member of staff who experiences the loss of a child by stillbirth, and 10 days of paid leave for women who suffer miscarriage.
An additional three days of bereavement leave will also be offered for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Maori and Pasifika members of staff.
Lion has also amended the definition of family in all of its people policies to include the concept of kinship, as part of a recognition that the definition of family is more extensive for First Nations and Clan groups.
The brewer will also introduce 10 days of paid leave for victims and family members of victims of domestic and family violence.
Alicia Purtell, people and culture director at Lion, explained that the business is focused on continuous improvement in this space. These policy changes follow the brewer receiving recognition as a family-friendly workplace.
She added: “We can’t afford to simply set and forget when it comes to these policies. That is why we have taken the opportunity to look holistically at the support we provide our people in addition to our Families@Lion policy and identified a number of areas in which we can bolster our commitment to inclusion and diversity.
“It is absolutely vital that we recognise that having a genuinely inclusive culture depends on us considering the needs of our people from all different perspectives, whether that is their gender, sexuality, culture, religion, or family situation.”