Parental leave | O2 say increasing paternity leave was a 'simple decision'

On Monday this week, the news broke that O2 has increased its paid paternity leave to 14 weeks for permanent employees.

The new policy, which came into effect on April 1 2019, steers away from the traditional two-week paternity offering that many employers currently present and proposes to ensure that all “all partners have the support and flexibility to spend valuable time with their new family.” And this is backed by the stats. A 2018 report by Incomes Data Research revealed that just nine per cent of employers offer more than the two-week statutory paternity leave entitlement to employees.

So, what made O2 strive to increase their paternity offering?

O2’s Chief HR Officer, Ann Pickering told HR Grapevine that their updated family policy strengthens their flexible working culture and has been a key determiner for attracting and retaining top talent.