New Deloitte scheme allows for 16 weeks of fully paid family leave

Deloitte US has launched a new benefits programme that allows its professional staff to enjoy up to sixteen weeks paid leave to deal with life events, from sickness or caring for ageing parents to the birth of a child. The new benefit is part of the firm’s wider efforts to improve staff retention following major life events, which too includes the availability of six months of paid time off for new mothers.

The slogan of work life balance remains an important one for many people when seeking stress relief and escape from the routine fetters of work. There are, however, a host of other events, such as caring for sick and ageing family members, the birth of a child or other life events, that too – for often caring reasons – require freedom from ‘work’ for a period of time.

As part of its talent retention efforts, Deloitte's US organisation has developed a broader array of benefits for its professional staff in line with expectations – a recent survey of professionals found that 88% of respondents value a broader paid leave policy to include family care beyond parental leave. Globally, according to Mercer, family care leave is offered to their employees by two-thirds of large corporates.

Deloitte's new benefits provide an “extra layer of support” above its family leave programme – which provides up to six months of paid time off for mothers. The launched initiative allows for up to 16 weeks of fully paid family leave for both men and women, within which they are better able “to support a range of life events impacting them and their families.”

Cathy Engelbert, Chief Executive Officer of Deloitte in the US, says, “By adding support for eldercare, spousal care, and children beyond the birth stage, Deloitte’s family leave program provides our people with the time they need to focus on their families in important times of need. Leaders often discuss how they can become more innovative, and one of the things that makes a big difference is to focus beyond business products and services and think about their people and the fabric of organisational culture.”

Deloitte's Chief Talent Officer, Mike Preston, adds, “Shifting family structures and needs go beyond just the requirements for new parents welcoming a child. Our Talent strategy is centred around our ability to create a leadership culture that is focused on the development and well-being of our professionals. Leading-edge programs for our people, reinforced by daily interactions and conversations at the team level, instill a culture of support and well-being.”

Last year Deloitte was named one of the globe's top 10 most attractive employers, among the likes of Google, Apple and Goldman Sachs.