Stories from partner leave
In January 2023, we did something big and bold. Something we’re still very proud of. We introduced a completely inclusive take on partner leave.
There are differences to the amount of leave you get in different parts of the world depending on local cultural norms, but the essence is the same. Whatever your or your partner’s gender or sexuality, or whether the child’s arrival is a result of natural birth, surrogate birth, or adoption, we treat it the same way. By giving you a proper period of leave to adjust and welcome them into your home.
A little over a year later, and plenty of our colleagues have had the chance to spend more time bonding with their new arrivals. Let’s hear from James.
James Crozier, Head of Business Transformation Change and Implementation in our Commercial and Institutional business, can also compare to the way things used to be. "When our daughter Ada was born in 2021, the standard two weeks paid leave felt like I couldn’t play the part I wanted to as a dad in the early days, feeling like I wasn’t able to pull my weight and relying on a flurry of daily WhatsApp messages to stay up to date. On the other hand, when Osh [new son Oisín] arrived, being part of everything, every day in the first six months was just awesome. It really helped us bond."
And while James hasn’t had as much bonding time in the early months with Ada, she didn’t miss out this time. "It was arguably even more beneficial for my relationship with Ada. At just under two, she was developing and learning fast. Together as a family of four it gave us the ability to be unplanned together. When you’re both working everything becomes quite rushed and scheduled. So, we allowed ourselves to slow the pace of life a little, leaving space to take things in, and that had such an impact on our family."
