Traverse reforms employee leave and support policies

The benefits include enhanced paternity leave to match maternity leave and matching adoption leave to maternity leave.

Paid support and flexible working will also be made available to employees going through the fostering selection and fertility treatment and donation processes.

All carers will receive five days of paid emergency leave, with 10 days of bereavement leave available for all employees.

New starters will have access to a childcare deposit loan, and a support package will be made available for workers experiencing a family breakdown, or violence and abuse.

A group health cash plan has also been introduced, and support packages for employees experiencing the menopause or undergoing gender transition are in the final stages of development.

A training loan has also be introduced, as well as role specific apprenticeships, on top of existing training budgets and access to coaching.

Kerrie Gemmill, director of operations at Traverse, said: “As an employee-owned business the views of our members, and what is important to them, drives business success.

“They were clear that our pay and benefit package needed modernising. They challenged us to be progressive, to push against the norm and ensure that our pay and benefits aligned with our inclusive values.”

Gemmill added that the policies we designed to reduce stigma over taking time off to deal with ‘life events’.

“Over the years, I have found that staff have suffered in silence because they experience a life event, that isn’t represented in a policy and feel too scared or ashamed to approach their manager to see if it would be considered under the ‘managers discretion’ catch-all,” Gemmill said.

“I was determined to change this and be more explicit in how we support staff during some of these life events. I hope that the difference we make is that staff will know that during their time with us we will support them to develop and grow in their careers and that we have their back, when they find it difficult to juggle the complex mix of managing life and work.”