APG supplements additional parental leave up to 100 percent
The time that partners had to resume work five days after the birth of their child is a thing of the past. As of July 1st, Dutch employees whose wife gave birth are allowed to take five weeks of additional leave. APG employee Martijn Klinkeberg: “I will absolutely take that leave and enjoy the little one as much as I can.”
This additional parental leave is a supplement to the current law WIEG, pursuant to which partners receive continued payment from the employer for five days following the birth. The total period leave now sums up to six weeks. The five additional weeks can only be taken after the usual parental leave of five days has passed and within six months following the birth. The UWV (Executive Institute for Employee’s Insurances) continues to pay 70 percent of the salary as per the new arrangement. APG offers its employees retention of monthly pay up to 100 percent.
Inclusive
HR manager Marjolein Kort explains the choice to supplement the benefits. “As an employer, we believe it is important for the awareness with respect to diversity and inclusion to be enhanced and to make tangible efforts. One of those tangible agreements is supplementing the parental leave. APG has already been supplementing the WAZO benefits for adoption and foster care leave up to 100% of the monthly income since January 1st, 2019.”
Reflection
In order to reinforce this intention, APG signed the Charter Diversity in 2016 aimed at stimulating diversity and inclusion in the workplace for companies and organizations. In summary: “It is only possible to cooperate really well in an organization where people are appreciated for who they are. In a safe environment with the potential to be who you are, where your voice is heard, in which you are able to develop your own skills and can also encourage others to develop. The ambition of APG is for its workforce to reflect the participants’ population, our commissioning funds and society to a greater degree. And this is only the beginning of what we are intending to do in the field of diversity and inclusion.”
Man/woman
Martijn Klinkeberg, social media coordinator at APG, is expecting his second child in September. As a father, he is happy to be given the possibility to take additional leave. And as an employee, he really appreciates APG being the frontrunner to pay the additional parental leave up to 100 percent. “APG puts in a lot of efforts to be a Great Place to Work. APG has eliminated, for example, the pay gap between men and women. And the under-representation of women at the top also is a priority for APG.”
Equal burden
Martijn will make use of the additional parental leave. Even if APG would not supplement. “I will absolutely take that leave and enjoy the little one as much as I can. These early days are worth more than the lack of income it would entail.”
“Of course, what isn’t there, what you don’t see as a father, you don’t miss”, Martijn continues. “But we are meanwhile living in a time where things are no longer obvious. It is an outdated tradition that the woman takes care of the child and the man continues to work. So, it is really great to see that we are given more space as a man or a partner and that we are able to share and experience both the burden and the great moments together as parents.”
Martijn does not worry that others may consider him less ambitious. “I do not think my generation is really bothered with that. Your career is not depending on five weeks of leave. On the contrary, I believe this leave actually is a positive contribution to your work attitude. If you have more influence on the situation after your child is born, I believe you are able to carry out your work with more energy and inner peace.”