Man Group – Finalist 2021, Best for Fathers

Man Group, a global active investment management firm, introduced an Enhanced Global Parental Leave Policy in 2018. This offers 18 weeks of leave, on full pay, within a year of the date the child joins the family. This is for all parents, regardless of gender and whether a child has been born, adopted, or fostered. Budget is available to cover leave with temporary hires when needed, alleviating any employee concerns about the impact on their team in their absence. Paid time off for antenatal appointments is also given.

The organisation is committed to equality and encouraging all parents to spend time with their families. Fathers can take Enhanced Parental Leave of up to 18 weeks, with 46 fathers taking this up in 2020 compared to 18 in 2018.

Man Group has a family champion for staff to approach for advice on policies and benefits, along with an employee resource group that is committed to promoting family-friendly working and supporting working parents. Their My Family Care staff support package offers all UK staff 10 company-funded emergency childcare sessions, along with a dedicated helpline, webinars and newsletters. During the pandemic, a Slack channel was launched by their staff, bringing together parents and carers to support each other and discuss challenges. Virtual summer camps, quizzes, parties and story time sessions for children were organised by the Family Network and helped alleviate some of the pressure on parents through the pandemic lockdowns.

Flexible working is firmly embedded in the firm’s culture, enabling fathers to alter their work pattern and ways of working as needed to care for their families. Man Group is normalising flexible working as a benefit to men as much as women, striving to break down stereotypical ideals about traditional caregiving roles.