Irwin MitchellIt has announced that it will double the paternity leave and make a variety of other changes to support staff with their families.

Effective immediately, the new changes will allow employees to take four weeks of paternity leave for free, regardless of their position or length of service.

Staff will no longer be able to take time off for fertility treatment. The firm offers employees the opportunity to take single-day parental leave, instead of in blocks.

Staff will have the same parental benefits as foster parents and can have five additional days of leave.

It has also adopted a flexible by choice approach to its employees and hopes that these changes will improve the work-life balance.

Susana BerlevyChief people officer at Irwin Mitchell, Jeremy Sullivan, stated that the new policies were the result of employee feedback about what they need most.

She stated that “as more people work from home, it was an opportunity for us to enhance our policies to improve the work-life balance, extend flexible work to offer greater choice, inclusion in all things, from maternity leave and paternity leave to fertility treatment and foster care.

“By listening to our colleagues and updating our approach, they are giving us the tools we need to perform our roles and trusting us to make the right choices for our families, clients, and the communities in our lives and work.