BEER giant Red Stripe is touting its recently introduced paternity leave policy as proof of its commitment to supporting its employees in a deeply holistic way as part of its #CareForPeople agenda.

Red Stripe’s paternity leave policy provides fathers-to-be with four weeks (20 days) of paid leave upon the arrival of a new child, whether through birth, adoption, or surrogacy. Male employees who have completed at least one year with the company can avail themselves of this policy.

“At Red Stripe our people are the heart of everything we do. Their dedication drives our success, and in return we prioritise their well-being, supporting them in building strong foundations for themselves and their families,” said Red Stripe’s head of Human Resources Judon Bowden.

“We critically evaluated our company’s offerings and the minimum benefits we believe are essential. These minimum benefits encompass four crucial components: health insurance, life insurance, personal accident insurance, and family-centred leave.

“However, we recognised the necessity of extending increased support to our male employees with a paternity leave benefit, for we were previously only offering maternity leave,” added Bowden.

He said since its implementation the paternity leave policy has garnered positive feedback, marking a progressive stride toward equity and inclusivity.

“While we aren’t the pioneers of this policy, as we clarified to our employees, our policy stands out due to its high flexibility. Unlike mothers who often return to work after three months, our fathers can choose when to utilise this leave, whether immediately after birth or upon the mother’s return.

“We didn’t just create a policy for the sake of it; we ensured its ease of use. We hope it enables our male employees to actively participate in parenting, fostering a balanced and equitable approach to family responsibilities,” emphasised Bowden.

As the company integrates the paternity leave policy into its organisational fabric it anticipates assessing its sentimental and economic impact through tracking utilisation and acknowledging employee feedback. This approach aims to ensure its meaningful contribution to a healthy company culture.

“Moving forward, our focus remains on enhancing our #CareForPeople programme. We will strengthen engagement strategies, cultivate a more engaged organisational culture, enrich development programmes for employees and their children, and review pension arrangements to ensure gender equity,” said Bowden.