COMP NEWS – Implementing paid parental leave can be a challenge on its own – so when Thomas Reuters decided to implement it with employees in 74 countries, the logistical challenge was enormous.
But they still did it.
The patchwork of state and local leave laws in the U.S. often frustrates employers. In absence of one statute outlining countrywide requirements for paid time off, employers must consider whether their programs play nice with laws in California and New York, or that new one in Oregon.
Companies with operations outside the U.S. face a leave law landscape that’s even more complex. Thomson Reuters, for instance, operates in 74 countries. The company recently developed a global minimum standard for parental leave. The benefit ensures that, as of April 2023, Thomson Reuters’ employees will receive at least 16 weeks of paid parental leave, no matter where they work.
To develop the new standard, Chief People Officer Mary Alic Vuicic emphasized the importance of partnering with local HR teams to understand cultural and regulatory differences.
To develop the new standard, Thomson Reuters worked through the existing parental leave policies in the countries where it operates, an “enormously complex” challenge, according to Chief People Officer Mary Alice Vuicic. In a recent conversation with HR Dive, Vuicic described how her company built the new standard and her advice to organizations working toward a similar feat.
“For organizations considering a similar parental global minimum standard, we recommend partnering with local HR teams to fully understand the cultural and regulatory differences between countries to determine what makes sense for your business, and speaking to colleagues to find out what they want and need. We also recommend working with executive leadership to get their support in building successful policies that foster a positive and healthy work environment.”
To read more about how Thomas Reuters implemented Paid Parental Leave at a global level, click here.
For more Comp News, see our recent posts.
Comp News is brought to you by CompXL, the flexible compensation software provider that enables mid- to large-size organizations to implement competitive pay structures such as vested stock options and variable incentive pay.
