XPO is offering extra support for staff suffering a miscarriage or still birth in the UK and Ireland (UK&I).
The sustainable transport and logistics company, which has around 5,000 employees in the region, will provide 10 additional days of paid leave for individuals, in any relationship, who experience this type of pregnancy loss.
Lynn Brown, vice president of human resources in UK and Ireland at XPO Logistics, said: “It’s important to our people and XPO that we care for the wellbeing of our work-based family. We are not content to do the minimum required by law. When pregnancy loss impacts families, it is important that they have the time and support needed as well as access to great care, and our new policy helps to support this.”
XPO introduced the policy after Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) research revealed that three-quarters (74%) of UK&I employers provide minimal or no leave, or other types of support, for staff experiencing pregnancy loss through miscarriage or stillbirth before the 24-week mark.
The findings prompted the company to implement measures to better support its workforce, offering an enhanced policy for people they felt may benefit from more time, space and care.
The latest HR policy is one of several the company has introduced in recent months. Last month (June), US-headquartered XPO announced it would provide additional paid leave – also for 10 days – for fertility treatment in a bid to further support its UK&I workers and their families.
At the time, the company said the policy demonstrated its “commitment to ensuring that its people receive the care and support they need during some of the most stressful times in life”.
In March 2023, XPO pledged to help end ‘period poverty’ by offering staff free female hygiene products at its locations across the UK and Ireland. Following successful trials in 2022, the company rolled out no-cost vending machines for sanitary pads and tampons.
