Supporting families worldwide with new global parental leave benefit
In this podcast episode, Nidhi Gokhale, Head of HR at Sandvik Manufacturing Solutions, highlights the new global parental leave benefit of Sandvik and how it supports employees across the globe. She explains how the initiative promotes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) by offering paid leave to new parents.
Nidhi Gokhale’s parental leave in India and Sweden
Nidhi Gokhale, who has been with Sandvik for over a decade, is no stranger to the challenges and joys of parenthood. In the podcast, she shares her personal journey of taking parental leave in both India and Sweden, highlighting the crucial support she received. “Parenting is a journey, not a destination,” she reflects. “I felt fortunate about not having to worry about work during that first year with my newborn. In Sweden, it’s common to have equal parental leave, so my husband also got the opportunity to spend more time with our kids.”
Supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
The global parental leave benefit is part of the broader strategy of Sandvik to promote DEI and employee well-being. This gender-neutral policy offers 14 weeks of leave for all full-time and part-time employees who have worked with Sandvik for at least a year, ensuring that all new parents, regardless of gender, location, or family structure, are supported during the crucial early months of their child’s life.
Standardizing parental leave at Sandvik’s locations
“This gender-neutral benefit allows parents, whether through birth, adoption, or surrogacy, to spend 14 weeks bonding with their baby during the first year,” explains Gokhale. The benefit ensures that countries with less generous leave entitlements will now meet this global standard, creating a common minimum baseline across all Sandvik locations. “In many places, especially for fathers, parental leave is limited or non-existent. Our new benefit will help normalize shared parenting and allow all employees the opportunity to focus on their growing family.”
The global parental leave benefit is being rolled out over 12 months, and close to 20 countries have already implemented it. The goal is to support work-life balance and help parents focus on their new role without worrying about work. “We’re not the first company to introduce this, but we’re among the few offering such comprehensive support for families,” Gokhale says.
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