All JSE employees to get four months of paid parental leave

The JSE has introduced a gender-neutral parental leave policy for all employees.

Employees now qualify for four months of paid parental leave, regardless of their gender or gender identity in accordance with the new policy, the exchange announced on Monday.

“Our society is ever-evolving and companies should adapt to these changes,” says Donald Khumalo, its human resources director.

“We can never achieve diversity in its true sense when a critical component of diversity such as inclusion remains a pipe dream. It is with this in mind that we have revised all our policies to ensure that they are gender-neutral and in line with an inclusive society that we operate in.” 

Khumalo said the gender-neutral policy helps position the JSE as an employer of choice in the financial services sector, as well as a people-centric organisation, fostering a “healthy working environment that drives increased employee engagement and high-performing teams, both of which are perfect ingredients for retaining and attracting new talent”.

The move is in line with the 17 UN Sustainability Goals. “These goals call for companies to do away with policies that perpetuate gender bias and stereotyping,” he added.

The policy makes provision for all JSE employees who are expecting a child to take parental leave to spend time with their newborn or adopted baby.

Parents who have achieved successful surrogacy also qualify for fully paid parental leave.

JSE employees can choose to take the leave over four consecutive months with their partners, or stagger it, allowing the first partner to take the initial four months and the second partner to be home for the next four months. Said Khumalo: “This enables a child to have eight months of uninterrupted parental care.”

© TimesLIVE