HSBC banking group has decided to offer all employees returning from parental leave to work part-time at the same level in the corporate hierarchy and on a pro-rata salary. It should help parents better balance their work and family responsibilities.
"Some people assume that once people are parents, they are no longer interested in career progression and this has sometimes been an excuse for why there are not more women represented in senior business roles and at board level. At HSBC, we are committed to bringing more women into senior positions," said Sue Jex, Head of Employee Relations at HSBC Europe on employeebenefits.co.uk. The part-time jobs should help women to proceed in their careers.
In addition to part-time jobs, HSBC supports families and young workers who want to become parents in other ways, too. These include:
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flexible working arrangements including jobs sharing or the possibility to take a year of unpaid leave,
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up to five days of paid leave per year to deal with urgent family matters,
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up to twelve days per year for fertility treatment,
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14 weeks of paid maternity leave with 100% of salary,
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working parents network to support parents who are leaving for parental leave or returning from it.
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