Key Takeaways

• About 1 in 5 global employers have established a global leave policy. Another 18% have a philosophy in place, but many leave programs are implemented locally.
• Leave related to parenting (parental, maternity/paternity, adoption) was covered by over 90% of global policies. Bereavement and caregiver leave were less likely to be included.
• Two-thirds of global employers calculate leave using a global minimum standard; 28% offer a stacked benefit in which the same amount of leave is added onto the statutory requirement.

Large employers with global locations must navigate significant challenges in order to establish a program with globally consistent principles that can be adapted to local cultural norms, while complying with varying country-specific legislation. When it comes to legislative requirements, many countries are ahead of the U.S. in establishing guidelines and policies for parental leave, sick time and paid time off for vacation, to name a few.

Of those employers completing the survey, 67% are multinational.