Marks and Spencer (M&S) has launched a new policy for employees whose baby requires specialist neonatal care, offering up to 12 weeks’ paid leave.
Becoming one of the first retailers to offer paid leave, the policy is part of M&S’ focus on providing more support and flexibility to its colleagues.
According to the retailer, the move “will give families of premature babies or babies that need additional care when they are born, extra leave and pay to spend vital time with their new-born without colleagues having to worry about work or using up their maternity, paternity, or adoption leave.”
“We know that being a parent of a baby who requires neonatal care is an incredibly worrying time and that time may be spent with their baby in hospital, rather than at home,” M&S group HR director Sarah Findlater said.
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“We want to do all we can to support colleagues who find themselves in this heart-breaking situation and we hope the introduction of Neonatal Leave will provide some peace of mind so that their focus can be on their baby without having to worry about pay or using up their maternity, paternity or adoption leave.”
The move comes as the retailer unveiled a dedicated fertility treatment policy giving employees up to 10 days off to attend appointments for up to three rounds of fertility treatment.
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