DLA Piper Hong Kong extends parental leave

Global law firm DLA Piper is extending the parental leave allowance for its Hong Kong employees. New and expectant mothers can enjoy 18 weeks of fully paid maternity leave, up from 10 weeks. Paternity leave has been doubled to 10 days with full pay. The same benefits are available to adopting parents.

The new policy takes effect today [1 August]. In conjunction with the extended leave allowance, the firm is also introducing a Maternity Coaching Program for expectant and new parents, offering support and assistance prior, during and after parental leave. The initiative is aimed at ensuring that new parents have a successful transition when returning to the workplace.

Kevin Chan, office managing partner for Hong Kong, said: "We made the decision to overhaul our parental leave policy after collecting a significant amount of feedback from our colleagues and the market."

He added that the new policy underscores the company's commitment to retaining and attracting top talent. "Because we understand our people are our greatest asset, we value their wellbeing as much as we value the support of our clients."

Juan Picon, global co-chairman at DLA Piper said: "At DLA Piper, diversity and inclusion is one of the key pillars of our culture. We know that balancing a career with a family is really important for many of our employees. Making improvements to our provisions for new parents is a vital tool to support our people through this period in their lives."

DLA Piper employs over 200 people in its Hong Kong office. The new parental leave policy applies to every fee-earner and support staff.

With the move, the firm joins an increasing number of companies in Hong Kong who are offering their staff more time off around the birth or adoption of a child. Among others, Shell, Microsoft, and Standard Chartered revised their parental leave policies this year.

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