Asda has made improvements to its family-friendly policies for all of its 14,000 colleagues to help offer support with parenthood, caregiving and personal loss.
The updated policy will provide enhanced support, flexibility, and compassion above the normal statutory leave and pay.
The improved policies include better maternity and adoption leave pay, with Asda increasing this from 12 weeks to 26 weeks for hourly colleagues.
Paternity leave has been doubled from two weeks to four weeks with full contractual pay. This will also be extended to secondary kinship carers.
A brand-new policy now includes kinship carers leave, with 26 weeks company leave and pay for primary kinship carers for staff caring for other children.
Asda will also provide two weeks company paid leave for those who have experienced pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.
The new policies were initially announced earlier in the year, as well as Asda’s £80m investment in increasing hourly pay for store colleagues.
It also introduced a policy in November which provides colleagues with additional leave and pay if their child is born needing neonatal care treatment post-birth.
Asda interim chief people officer and general counsel Helen Selby said: “We’re proud to be introducing new and enhanced family-friendly policies, which underline our commitment to fostering an inclusive and colleague-focused workplace.
“We want our colleagues to feel supported during some of the most important – and occasionally most challenging – moments in their lives. These changes further build on the progress we’ve made over the last year in supporting the beating heart of our business – our fantastic colleagues.”
Usdaw national officer Jayne Allport added:“Following ongoing discussions between Asda and Usdaw, we are pleased that the company has committed to providing valuable, additional support for our members when they need it most. We welcome that the company values the parents and carers working for them and understands their needs in balancing life and work.”
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