It’s a worker-friendly project quite unique to Jamaica, and although still in its fancy, the family leave policy rolled out by spirit manufacturer J Wray & Nephew Ltd has already hit its mark with the people who matter.

Two members of the workforce of one of Jamaica’s iconic companies have given robust endorsement to the policy, representing what officials have said is a constant human resource sentiment of a setup that is intended to make life easier for staff, boost morale, and ultimately increase production and productivity.

In what may be a first for a company operating in Jamaica, J Wray & Nephew instituted a Family Leave Policy that will allow for more paid time off for its employees.

A member of the Milan, Italy-headquartered Campari Group, the company, in a policy document, has approved three new benefits to its employees — Family Care, Paternity Leave, as well as Adoption and Guardianship.

The existing Maternity Leave Policy has been improved, while there is also Compassionate Leave that it offers its staff.

One individual who has benefited from the policy is Senior Public Affairs and Digital Media Specialist Shantaee Lewis: “The Family Leave Policy influenced my relationship as an adult daughter whose mother has cancer,” she told the Jamaica Observer. “She was diagnosed with breast cancer in May of last year and I needed to take the time to support her with her surgery. And so it really helped,” she said.

“If you need to take time in the private sector, you need to take vacation, so that would cut into the vacation time. The Family Leave really afforded me the time outside of vacation,” Lewis added.

Antwan McKoy Campbell, health and safety specialist, who took up the offer for paternal leave said the policy was a win-win for all employees.

“It was launched sometime after the birth of my child, but the company was kind enough to give me the opportunity to take it regardless. The policy says we should take paternity leave within the first six months of the child’s birth, but the company facilitated me and I don’t think I am the only one to benefit from that.

“And how else have I benefited? In anticipation of the birth of my child I didn’t take any vacation leave. I saved it for that period so that I would be able to provide support in ensuring that my wife gets to hospital. As soon as she was home, the vacation leave had expired, so I didn’t get any chance to spend any quality time with my family.

“So when the paternity came about, I jumped at it and took it as soon as I could and then I was able to support my wife, spend time with the baby and ensure that everything went well,” Campbell told the Sunday Observer.

Family Care will allow an employee who is a designated caregiver to enjoy paid and unpaid leave for clearly stated family and medical reasons. Under the policy, employees may be given time off of up to 10 working days to care for a family member suffering from a critical or long illness. It caters to the care of relatives, among them parents, children, grandparents, spouses or common-law partners

In respect of paternity leave, a male employee who is the biological father of a child may be allowed up to 20 days off, before or after the birth of the child.

Adoption and guardianship leave offers a 20-day period of absence from work to an employee who assumes legal guardianship of a child, or who has adopted one.

By extension, the company has increased its maternity leave benefit from three months absence from work to four months, at 100 per cent regular pay, before or after the birth of a child.

Compassionate leave, lasting five days, is also offered to an employee to take care of matters that are deemed to be personal emergencies, or the loss of a family member through death.

Qualified employees must be a part of the company for at least 12 consecutive months. Employees may also be allowed more time off under each category, but may not be paid for it.

The company said that although Jamaican labour laws do not make provisions for the family care leave, it nonetheless decided to go ahead with the move, after deep consideration and consultation with stakeholders.

Unlike vacation or sick leave, benefits under the Family Leave Policy are accessed once every 12 consecutive months.

The move by J Wray & Nephew will likely bring into greater synergy similar policies within the Campari Group.

“The policy embodies the employee-centric culture of J Wray & Nephew and distinguishes the company as an employer of choice within the local market, based on benchmarks, ” J Wray & Nephew’s Managing Director Jean-Philippe Beyer said.

Campbell, who has been with the organisation for four months shy of five years, is encouraging other organisations to follow suit.

“I would definitely urge other companies operating in Jamaica to take it up. In Jamaica, we preach that men should play a greater role in the child’s life, but we don’t facilitate men spending time with the family. So I think this is a great opportunity to allow men to see what women go through, to support them, and have a greater appreciation for what they go through in giving birth and taking care of a child,” argued Campbell.

As for Lewis, the additional benefit has resulted in positives for her mom and herself.

“I didn’t have to worry about it, so I was able to support her in that time, and coincidentally, my brother’s father, who I call my second dad, he was in the hospital as well, last December. At one point, both he and my mother were in the same hospital, so when I took that time off I was able to visit them and support both at the same time.”

Lewis said that her mother was “recovering well” having done surgery last January; she was feeling much better now, and happy that she got the procedure done. Her mother has also been following her doctor’s recommendations, she added, and she had even resumed work in the public sector.

“My mother was happy to have had that additional time from me, because I did everything –general transportation, doctors’ visits, updating the rest of the family as to what was happening… I was like the point person, so it really helped,” stated Lewis.

The Family Leave Policy also has international significance, as United States President Joe Biden outlined new benefits for Americans while delivering his State of the Union speech recently.