Johnson & Johnson rolls out new parental leave policy in Malaysia

Johnson & Johnson Sdn Bhd has launched an enhanced global parental leave policy, whereby new fathers are entitled to eight weeks of paid leave within one year from the birth of the child at 100% of base pay.

Meanwhile, mothers are entitled to 26 working days of leave within one year from the birth of the child, in addition to the mandatory 60 calendar days maternity leave, as outlined in the Employment Act 1955 in Malaysia.

Additionally, both female and male employees are entitled to a maximum of eight weeks of leave within one year from the date of adoption for a child aged up to 17 years.

This is a global policy that took effect on 1 August 2017 across all Johnson & Johnson offices. In Malaysia, the new policy applies to non-unionised, eligible employees (i.e. maternal, paternal and adoptive parents), covering about 400 employees, as shared exclusively with Human Resources.

With immediate effect, applicable employees who are due to give birth, or whose spouse is due to give birth, post 1 August will be eligible for parental leave.

Chin Keat Chyuan, MD at Johnson & Johnson Sdn Bhd., said: "Welcoming a newborn into a family is a blessing. We also understand new parents need all the support they can get to become the best parent they can be. With this new policy, we hope to support new parents through this milestone.”

Speaking to Human Resources, a spokesperson at Johnson & Johnson Sdn Bhd. said: "We have received encouraging feedback from employees who commended the organisation for our efforts in becoming a global leader in family-friendly benefits and setting the agenda for working parents.

The company added in a statement: "By extending parental leave benefits to fathers and adoptive parents, Johnson & Johnson also strengthens our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and support for the modern-day family — no matter what shape that family takes."

Peter Fasolo, EVP and CHRO at Johnson & Johnson, shared: "At Johnson & Johnson, we believe family comes first. Following the successful implementation of our expanded US parental leave programme in 2015, we are proud to announce a consistent approach to parental leave across the globe."

In a press statement, the company cites a 2013 study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry that found the level of interactions between father-infant at age three months can predict whether the child will exhibit behavioral problems at the age of one.

The effect in the lack of father-infant engagement tends to be stronger for boys than for girls, suggesting that boys are more susceptible to the influence of their father from a very early age.

In another study, lead researcher Ronald Rohner observed that the influence of a father’s love on a child’s development is as great as and occasionally greater than the influence of a mother’s love. Children feeling loved by their father has an impact on their adult life – have a better sense of well-being, of happiness, of life satisfaction.

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