Communications agency Talker Tailor Trouble Maker has introduced paid leave policies for all staff in the event of a pregnancy loss, miscarriage or abortion, allowing either partner to take a minimum of two weeks of paid leave at any stage of the pregnancy.
According to the agency, 10 days of paid leave will be available for affected staff, including both partners, surrogates and those adopting, as it recognises that pregnancy loss can affect not only the woman carrying the baby.
The initiatives, which have been spearheaded by the agency’s female senior management team Alex Pearse and Vikki Jaconelli, will also include two weeks’paid leave support for staff requiring time off work for fertility treatment and for those going through a gender transition. They can use the time for outpatient appointments, treatment and further support.
Talker Tailor Trouble Maker has also implemented a period policy, in which staff suffering from menstrual or menopausal pain, discomfort or are in need of treatment, are entitled to work from home or take an additional five days’ paid leave on top of the company sickness policy. Staff will also be entitled to two days’ paid leave for the loss of a pet.
This follows the company recently introducing wellbeing benefits, including a paid for counselling service available to all employees, additional flexibility post Covid-19 (Coronavirus) for working from home and four paid mental health days, with one allowed per quarter, for staff to take time for themselves.
Associate director Jaconelli explained that staff mental and physical wellbeing is crucial to the team, which is the core of what makes Talker Tailor Trouble Maker “special and successful”.
“Hopefully with more companies understanding the importance of paid leave for pregnancy loss or for those transitioning gender for example, we can start to break down the industry norms. As well as offering paid leave, we’re actively encouraging businesses of all sizes to make these simple policy changes, which could transform a team member’s mental health in the future,” she said.