M&S starts 12 weeks of paid neonatal leave

 UK-based leading apparel retailer Marks & Spencer (M&S) has expanded its maternity offering with the introduction of neonatal leave for families of premature babies or babies that need additional care when born.

M&S is one of the first retailers to introduce such a policy. For the employees it applies to, extra paid leave of up to 12 weeks will be granted coming into effect immediately.

Sarah Findlater, group HR director of the company said that the company was “continually listening” to its colleagues to ensure the company was a good place to work. “We want to do all we can to support colleagues who find themselves in this heart-breaking situation and we hope the introduction of Neonatal Leave will provide some peace of mind so that their focus can be on their baby without having to worry about pay or using up their maternity, paternity or adoption leave.”

The policy builds on similar initiatives introduced by M&S over recent years, including a dedicated fertility treatment policy allowing employees up to 10 days off to attend appointments of up to three rounds of fertility treatment.