- Employees on maternity and adoption leave set to receive full pay for up to 52 weeks
- Alstom is focused on mitigating the effects of the ‘pregnancy penalty’
Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, is proud to announce the introduction of a new sector-leading maternity and adoption policy for staff in the UK, reinforcing its commitment to supporting gender equality and the well-being of its workforce.
The enhanced policy offers employees on maternity and adoption leave full pay for up to 12 months. This policy is also viewed as a critical part of Alstom’s commitment to supporting female retention and attracting new talent into the organisation and wider rail sector.
“This enhanced maternity policy is a significant step forward, and exemplifies how Alstom strives to ensure that women within the organisation are able to thrive both professionally and personally. With the maternity improvement – alongside the recent introduction of enhanced menopause support and emergency period care – it shows that Alstom is serious about being a workplace for women,” said Charlotte Briers, Rolling Stock Performance Lead and Chair of Voices of Women at Alstom.
Alstom is also focused on mitigating the effects of the ‘pregnancy penalty’ – a recognised phenomenon where women returning from maternity leave often struggle to regain their previous career momentum. This policy serves as a pivotal step toward eliminating this issue by supporting women in achieving their full potential upon returning to work. For example, it helps ensure that women do not face financial disadvantages from taking leave of up to a year or feel pressured to return to work before they are ready.
“We recognise the importance of removing barriers to progression for women in our workforce. This enhanced maternity policy demonstrates our commitment to providing a work environment that values and supports our employees throughout all stages of their lives,” said James Gray, Human Resources Director at Alstom.
He added: “This initiative will not only help us retain top talent but also attract skilled professionals who seek a company that truly values gender equality.”
Alstom remains dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce and continues to take concrete actions to reduce the gender pay gap, support family life and ensure the career advancement of women across its global operations.
In 2017, Alstom launched its biennial equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) census to identify improvement areas in the UK. From the findings, the company developed and delivered the Alstom8training workshops to raise awareness and give practical advice on how to successfully drive inclusivity in the workplace. Over the past three years, more than 2,100 colleagues have attended a session.
Alongside this, its four ‘Voices of’ groups – Women, Pride+, Cultural Diversity and Disability – help to share lived experiences; challenge groupthink in its strategy and policies; have oversight of relevant key performance indicators (KPIs); and act as ambassadors.
Recent initiatives by Voices of Women have seen free period care provided in all female toilets, which will soon be expanded for all shared facilities.
Alstom also offers enhanced support for colleagues experiencing menopause, with a comprehensive Menopause Plan offered at no extra charge through the company’s Bupa cover. Furthermore, employees can now reclaim the cost of a Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) through expenses.
The new maternity and adoption policy is open to those who have worked at Alstom for at least two years and offers full earnings for 52 weeks’ maternity leave. It also offers enhanced payments to all employees who qualify for statutory maternity pay or adoption pay.
