Changing the game with equalised leave: how Browne Jacobson is levelling the field for its people
Sometimes it seems that attitudes are shifting faster than policy can keep up. Working Families’ recent research found there is a clear appetite amongst men for sharing childcare, with 74% of dads wanting to embrace equal parenting.
Thankfully, there are employers that aren’t just hearing this message, but taking action to create policies that contribute to societal change whilst making a real-world difference to families.
One such employer is Browne Jacobson, who announced in 2024 that they would be equalising leave, so that all parents can take up to 26 weeks, with 13 weeks at full pay and an additional 13 weeks at half pay. The move represented a significant enhancement of their previous two-week allowance for paternity and co-parent leave, and goes far beyond the statutory minimum. Not only does the change mean that parents can provide meaningful support in the crucial early months of parenthood, but the approach gives fathers and co-parents time to bond with their baby and solidify their identity as a primary carer. This is good news for families, who can avoid the disconnection that can lead to relationship breakdown, instead supporting parent’s mental health and sense of satisfaction in family life.
Someone who knows this first-hand is Tom Curtin, Practice Support Manager and proud father to four children.
For Tom, who has been able to use the new policy for his youngest child, the difference in experience this time round is clear:
Reflecting on my previous paternity experiences, it was tough to step away from my family. I felt a mix of guilt for leaving and frustration over missing crucial bonding moments.
Encouraging all parents to take substantial leave isn’t just good for safeguarding family relationships, it’s also good for creating a society where shared caregiving is normalised, thereby reducing the disproportionate impact on women’s careers, as Tom explains,
This time things are completely different. Our family conversations now revolve around ‘we’ instead of ‘I’. It’s a small change that has significantly enhanced my sense of involvement. Parenting is a team effort, and truly, there is no ‘I’ in team.
Tom’s experience also highlights the stress of not being able to support your partner at a time of need, and how the distraction of knowing that your partner needs you can impact productivity at work:
Particularly after my wife’s C-section – a major surgery that often doesn’t get enough attention amid the joy of a new baby – being absent during her recovery was tough. It weighed on me, and admittedly, it sometimes impacted my focus at work.
But Browne Jacobson didn’t stop at enhancing parental leave. They recognised the challenges of returning to work after a period of leave, which can often lead to women withdrawing from the labour market and compounding the gender pay gap. To remedy this, they implemented measures to ease the transition for anyone taking extended parental leave, such as reduced targets and a peer support scheme where new parents buddy up with a colleague who has previously returned from parenting leave.
In addition, all family-related policy language was reviewed and updated to reflect the diversity of families, forged through a partnership with the University of Nottingham which explored how organisations can adopt more inclusive language in customer and workplace policies.
Whilst the beliefs behind the changes were rooted in doing the right thing, they made sense on every level, as Shelley Sutton, Chief People Officer, outlines,
Our decision was driven by the recognition that supporting families isn’t just morally right – it’s strategically smart for business.
Supporting parents in the early stages of their children’s lives can significantly boost employee wellbeing and, as Tom identified, productivity. Parents who feel supported by their employer are likely to return to work feeling engaged and committed, with less stress and anxiety, which contributes to a more resilient workforce as well as boosting retention rates and reducing recruitment costs. And as Shelley Sutton explains, the new policies have given Browne Jacobson something that marks them out from the competition,
Our progressive policies have become a key differentiator in attracting high-calibre professionals who value employers that support work-life integration.
With the changes they’ve made, Browne Jacobson have nailed their colours to the mast that equality matters, and aren’t shying away from the hard job of cultural transformation. By encouraging the take up of parental leave amongst men they are challenging the stigma around men being caregivers, as well as the perception that taking extended leave negatively impacts career progression. Their commitment to championing diversity and inclusion through challenging traditional roles is paving the way for a more equitable society, whilst supporting their people at the same time. And employees like Tom agree:
The extended paternity leave offered here is a game-changer. I’m incredibly grateful to be part of a firm that truly stands by its commitments. Browne Jacobson is an extraordinary place to work. It has always felt like a family, and this new policy deepens that feeling even further.
