Vodafone plan to include 16 weeks of fully paid leave
Telecommunications giant Vodafone Group said by the end of this year it plans to implement a mandatory minimum global maternity policy across the organization that will include at least 16 weeks of fully paid maternity leave and full pay for a 30-hour week for the first six months after that employee returns to work.
Vodafone, which last year sold its 45% stake in U.S.-based operator Verizon Wireless, said the policy will be put into place across its 30 operating companies spread across Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the U.S. Vodafone did announce late last year plans to launch an enterprise-focused mobile virtual network operator in the U.S. tapping into T-Mobile US’ network.
Vodafone added that some of its subsidiaries currently offer the package, which will not be impacted by the move. Women currently account for 35% of Vodafone’s worldwide workforce, though only 21% of its international senior leadership team, which it feels the new policy can be used to close the gap in those numbers.
“Too many talented women leave working life because they face a difficult choice between caring for a newborn baby or maintaining their careers,” said Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao. “Our new mandatory minimum global maternity policy will support over 1,000 Vodafone women employees every year in countries with little or no statutory maternity care.”
Highlighting the importance of the decision, Vodafone said that a report commissioned from KPMG found that global businesses could save up to $19 billion annually by offering 16 weeks of fully paid maternity leave. The report found that it costs businesses $47 billion annually to recruit and train new employees to replace women who leave the workforce after having a baby, as opposed to $28 billion in costs related to increasing maternity leave to 16 weeks.
RCR Wireless News recently released a feature report looking at the role of female workers in the wireless space: Women in Wireless.
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