Diageo announces that it is beginning a global roll-out of an ambitious new family leave policy applicable to employees across its business, as part of its leading work to create a fully inclusive and diverse workforce. The business hopes the policy will support employees to focus on the joy of raising a young family, while continuing to thrive at work, and ensuring women and men are supported to have time with their new baby regardless of where they live and work.

The new global policy offers female employees in all markets a minimum of 26 weeks of fully paid maternity leave.

Diageo is also setting a global minimum standard of four weeks paternity leave on full rate of pay in all markets, with a significant number of Diageo’s businesses moving to 26 weeks fully paid paternity leave including North America, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Colombia, Venezuela, and Australia amongst others.

The news follows the announcement last month that all parents employed by Diageo in the UK are now eligible for the same fully-paid 26 weeks, retaining benefits and bonuses regardless of gender.

“We are committed to creating a fully inclusive and diverse workforce and we strongly believe that businesses play a significant role in shaping the future of society. Global businesses like Diageo must make bold moves on policies and the environments in which their employees work to ensure that the progress people deserve happens.”

Mairéad Nayager, Chief HR Officer

The new policy will go live in most countries at the start of Diageo’s new financial year, from the 1^st July 2019, with further countries to implement the policy over the course of the year. The full details of each country-specific policy, application to non-wholly owned subsidiaries, and the timing of its roll-out will be shared in due course and is subject to local legal, board, and regulatory requirements.

Diageo’s commitment to creating an inclusive and diverse working environment has been recognised by the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index in 2019. In 2018 Diageo was named by Thomson Reuters as the 4th most inclusive and diverse company in the world. 40 percent of Diageo’s Executive Committee and 44 percent of Diageo’s Board are women.

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