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Written in collaboration with Shine, a professional account for businesses and independent professionals.
What is at stake?
The parenting policy naturally formalizes parental leaves, especially the second parent's leave. However, it can also comprehensively address all aspects of parenthood (assisted reproductive technology, adoption, miscarriage, pregnancy announcement, schedule adjustments for young parents, etc.).
The concept of parenthood as understood at Shine applies from the desire to become a parent and encompasses all stages and paths: assisted reproductive technology, pregnancy, adoption, birth, welcoming the child, balancing professional life with parenting role, and so on.
Why is it important?
Parenthood is a significant issue in the professional lives of employees, particularly for women who often perceive and experience it as a hindrance to their careers, according to a study by INSEE. In the startup ecosystem, parenthood is a reality that must be addressed, given the average age of entrepreneurs and their teams.
Implementing a parenting policy allows for:
➡️ Creating an environment of transparency conducive to a better understanding of the challenges related to parenthood in the professional setting;
➡️ Agir en faveur de l’égalité entre les hommes et les femmes dans la répartition du travail rémunéré et de la garde des enfants;
➡️ Acting in favor of gender equality in the distribution of paid work and childcare responsibilities between men and women;
➡️ Standing out among talents;
➡️ Acting as a model that can inspire other stakeholders to evolve their practices related to parenthood.
In line with our values and commitments, we have developed a parenthood policy to ensure that:
- we encompass parenthood in its broadest sense,
- we safeguard the confidentiality of our employees,
- parents, future or potential parents are treated equally and that their parenthood does not in any way hinder their professional advancement,
- parents, future or potential parents are supported in balancing their professional and personal lives.
Nicolas Reboud - CEO de Shine
3 key steps to take action
1️⃣ Implement an extended parental leave / Sign the ParentalAct
The ParentalAct brings together companies that commit to fully compensating the second parent's leave for 1 month.
2️⃣ Draw inspiration from "best practices" already established in some startups and companies
- 📣 Examples of measures implemented at Shine
- An annual gross salary increase of €2500 per dependent person,
- An 8-week second-parent leave (without tenure or status conditions),
- 100% salary continuation throughout the leave (without tenure or status conditions),
- Allowing the second parent to accompany their partner to all appointments related to assisted reproductive technology (ART) and/or pregnancy monitoring,
- 3 days of leave for a sick child per year,
- 2 days of paid leave in the case of a miscarriage (SYNTEC provision),
- For employees engaged in the adoption process: 5 paid absences to attend mandatory appointments related to the approval request,
- A "re-onboarding" program for returning to work after a long absence, flexible hours, and half-day of paid leave per week during the first month back following a leave.
3️⃣ Communicate the policy internally and externally
- Create a parenthood toolkit or guide that includes legal information and the startup's commitments related to parenthood.
- Explain the parenthood policy during the hiring process.
- Share commitments with other stakeholders in the ecosystem to co-build.
- We began by creating our "Parenthood Guide", available to all employees, which compiles all legal, conventional, and specific Shine-related measures concerning parenthood in one place.
- We designated a Parenthood Contact Person, whom employees can confidentially reach out to with their questions, enabling them to access their rights and benefits without necessarily informing their manager or HR of their personal situation.
- We developed a version of the guide for managers, as they play a crucial role in the success of this policy. It includes advice, guidelines, and resources to help managers support employees based on their individual situations.
📚 Resources and further reading
⚖️ Reminder of regulations regarding second-parent leave
Second-parent leave is 28 days for a first child. The employer cannot oppose the taking of this leave.
It is divided into several periods:
- A mandatory 3-day paternity leave, to be taken immediately after childbirth.
- A mandatory 4-day period, to be taken immediately following the paternity leave.
- An optional 21-day period, to be taken before the child reaches 6 months, in one or two segments, at the employee's discretion.
Second-parent leave extends to 35 days for two children or more.
📖 The Parental Challenge Guide and Charter
A comprehensive guide on the challenges of a parental policy in the workplace and the concrete actions that can be implemented.
📖 Paternity Leave: These startups that have taken the lead (Maddyness, 2021)
📊 Study on Paternity and Parental Leave (EDHEC, 2022)
The survey "Paternity and Parental Leave: Perceptions and Expectations" was conducted by the Diversity & Inclusion Chair at EDHEC in 2022.
Survey Summary:
- The survey results show that the utilization of paternity leave is on the rise.
- Additionally, the survey highlights 4 main reasons for not using paternity leave: lack of awareness about the policy; employment, including a perceived heavy workload; potential loss of income associated with this leave; and a traditional conception of the father's role that reinforces gender stereotypes.
- On the contrary, 3 main factors influence the use of paternity leave: social norms, particularly how respondents believe their peers would approve or disapprove of taking this leave; a more or less traditional view of the father's role; and the perception of gender equality within the company.
- Moreover, for nearly 90% of respondents, paternity leave is a policy that should be strengthened, possibly through mandatory leave, extended duration, or better compensation. Finally, the survey suggests potential changes for organizations, such as working on company culture or planning for the employee's absence.
In this study, 94% of fathers who had a child after July 1st, 2021, took this leave, compared to only 70% of fathers before that date.
However, only 6% of fathers adjusted their work hours or took parental leave following their paternity leave.
📚 Judith Aquien's book "3 Months in Silence”
Book recommended by Shine: "This book sheds light on the taboo surrounding the first months of pregnancy."
✍️ They contributed to the creation of this document
Shine, a professional account for businesses and independent individuals.
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