East African Breweries Limited (EABL) employees who experience pregnancy loss will now be given a six-and-a-half paid leave.
This period will be to allow them to mourn their loss.
The leave also extends to male employees whose spouses lose a pregnancy.
EABL says it has classified pregnancy loss as bereavement and is giving female employees or spouses up to 10 working days of paid leave if the pregnancy loss occurs before 20 weeks.
“We recognize that experiencing pregnancy loss is a grieving process that requires patience and time,” says EABL, which had 1,408 employees by the end of June.
“When pregnancy loss occurs after 20 weeks, the carrying female can access up to 26 weeks while the spouse can access up to 10 working days of paid leave.”
EABL’s move is part of its pregnancy loss guidelines.
The brewer’s pregnancy loss guidelines create awareness of various types of pregnancy loss, including resources available to employees and line managers of those who may experience this loss.
The policy aligns with that of its parent company, Diageo, which first introduced the pregnancy loss leave in September last year for its UK and Ireland markets.
EABL offers female employees a minimum of 26 weeks of fully paid maternity leave while male employees get a minimum of four weeks of paternity leave.
This was introduced to give workers enough time to take care of their young families as they continue to thrive at work.Kenya’s law currently allows a fully paid three-month maternity leave and a two-week paternity break for fathers.
EABL already offers flexible working hours to lactating mothers and has also set up nursing rooms for them, matching the practice in several other top corporates like Safaricom.
Firms in Kenya are increasingly paying attention to diversity and inclusion in the workplace, including coming up with policies that promote equal pay and a level playing ground for promotions.
BAT Kenya, which usually discloses the gender pay gap in its reports, says it believes in creating a respectful and inclusive environment where people can thrive.
Equity Group, KCB, and Centum have also followed in the diversity and inclusion race. The trend is driven by shareholders and financiers seeking to nudge firms to have a positive impact on people and society even as they seek to generate returns for their investors.
Pregnancy loss is an area that is often poorly understood due to the silence surrounding it. Globally, one in 10 women experience a miscarriage in their lifetime.
The pregnancy loss guidelines were created alongside Diageo’s Spirited Women’s Network resource group and sit alongside a suite of employee support that include guidelines focused on gender identity and gender expression, menopause, and domestic and family abuse guidelines.
EABL is currently considering introducing an expanded compassionate leave that will extend to covering employees who lose close friends, just like its parent company.Diageo employees who experience the loss of a child, spouse, partner, or parent have access to up to 10 working days of paid bereavement leave.
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