Beer brewer AB InBev is extending maternity leave for all employees in Europe to 26 weeks. The co-parent only gets two more weeks. The brewer does not go as far as car manufacturer Volvo.
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AB InBev is known for its obsession with costs. Just think of the cry of former CEO Carlos Brito, who made a distinction between ‘working money’ and ‘non working money’. You have costs that make money, and there are those that are useless and that you have to eliminate.
But more leave for moms and dads seems to make sense for the brewer. As of this month, mothers are already entitled to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. That is eleven weeks more than is legally required in Belgium. AB InBev had already expanded the scheme from 11 weeks to 16 weeks in 2018. The new scheme applies to all employees in Europe.
For fathers or co-parents, the paid birth leave will be increased from two to four weeks. The scheme also applies to newly formed families. AB InBev says it is taking a broader commitment to a more diverse and inclusive society.
Youth priorities
The brewer is also adjusting its policy for parents who return to work after the birth leave. The first eight weeks they only have to work 75 percent, but they are paid 100 percent. The brewer says the new policy comes after an extensive benchmarking and listening session with employees and their managers.
The adjustment says something about the shortage on the labor market and about the importance that young people attach to the work-life balance. Companies that take their priorities into account are better placed in the market as an employer. A cost-conscious player such as AB InBev must therefore evolve along with it.
Also adoptive and foster parents
The brewer will only adjust its policy for Europe. He does not go as far as car manufacturer Volvo Cars. Volvo Cars employees who have or adopt a child from March 31 this year will are allowed to go on parental leave for half a year. That is also the case for the men.
For our country, this meant that women employed by Volvo Cars Belgium were given an additional 11 weeks of leave. For men, the scheme is a much bigger step forward: it de facto extends the birth leave for fathers or co-parents from three to 26 weeks. In those additional weeks, 80 percent of the wages will continue to be paid by Volvo Cars.
It was also unprecedented that adoptive and foster parents at Volvo Belgium also enjoy the same scheme. In our country, they now enjoy a maximum of seven weeks of leave, or double that if the child has a disability.
Volvo Cars also adjusted its policy for all employees, including those in its Chinese and American branches. There the difference is significant. AB InBev is not going that far. The brewer has the most employees in the US, Latin America and Asia and is also active in Africa.
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