Danone Promotes Gender Equity for All, Expands Parental Leave to 3,500 Manufacturing Colleagues

The company's newly enhanced policy provides 18 weeks of leave, on a gender-neutral basis to all 5,700 U.S. employees.  

BROOMFIELD, Colo. and WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Danone North America, a leader in fresh dairy and plant-based products, and the world's largest Certified B Corp, announced today that it is expanding its gender-neutral Parental Bonding Leave policy to its manufacturing employees, enabling them to take up to 18 weeks' paid time off after the birth or adoption of their child. This benefit is now available to all the company's 5,700 U.S. employees, whether they work in an office or in one of Danone's 14 manufacturing facilities across the country.

The policy – effective company-wide today – is an evolution of the company's previous practice of providing its frontline manufacturing employees up to 2 weeks of paid leave in addition to allowing the use of paid time off or vacation for such absences. The policy, which can be taken anytime within the first year of a child's birth or adoption date, is applicable to either parent, recognizing that parenting is a shared responsibility between caregivers. It is intended to create a more equitable workplace and in doing so, challenge traditional assumptions on caregiving and help advance equality for all.

"At Danone, family is important to us. We understand how special – and also how challenging – welcoming a new child into the world can be. That's why we are proud to support all our Danone parents, of all genders, in our factories and our offices, as they bond with their newest family member," said Shane Grant, CEO at Danone North America. "Our hope is that we will inspire others and help advance parental leave equity outside our walls, as well."

Across the United States, Danone North America partners with the International Union of Food (IUF), the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union (BCTGM) and the Teamsters.

"Danone's family-first approach to supporting its teams sets it apart from so many of its peers in the industry. We believe an offering like this provides a huge value not only to its employees but has equally significant impacts for families and the communities where Danone operates," said Mark Lauritsen, International Vice President at UFCW.

According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, only 9 percent of U.S. companies offer paid paternity leave to male employees. And, while many manufacturing companies have begun to expand their paid parental leave in recent years, policies continue to differentiate between primary and secondary caregivers – further reinforcing traditional family roles even while American family dynamics and needs evolve.

Recent research from the Council on Contemporary Families also shows an 11 percent rise in equal responsibilities shared between mothers and fathers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating a larger social change that Danone intends to support. In fact, encouraging gender-neutral policy that helps dads engage more and earlier in their children's lives has broader and longer-term benefits, too; just one of which is that it impacts women's income and consequently, their families' financial security. Research from Sweden shows that each additional month of parental leave taken by a father increases the mother's wages by nearly 7 percent.

Danone's new policy is in line with the global commitment the company made in 2017 as part of the UN Women's HeForShe initiative to become one of the leading parent-friendly companies in the world, through the implementation of a global gender-neutral paid parental leave policy. In addition, the company's commitment to inclusive diversity includes creating an environment in which all employees feel a sense of belonging and support. Ensuring its manufacturing teams can care for their families while also maintaining employment security is a critical part of this commitment. For employees expanding their families through adoption, the company provides adoption assistance up to $6,000 and it further supports a more inclusive economy by providing a living wage to all its colleagues.

Within its communities, Danone has long partnered with the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program through product donations and policy improvements to allow for more families to access the program. Recently, the company also signed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, to provide accommodations for pregnant women to minimize risk to their pregnancies at work.

About Danone North America

Danone North America is a purpose-driven company with a portfolio of dairy and plant-based foods. As the world's largest Certified B Corporation®️, Danone North America is committed to the creation of both economic and social value, while nurturing natural ecosystems through sustainable agriculture. Our portfolio of brands includes: Activia®️, DanActive®️, Danimals®️, Dannon®️, Good Plants™️, Horizon Organic®️, International Delight®️, Light + Fit®️, Oikos®️, Silk®️, So Delicious®️ Dairy Free, STōK®️, Two Good®️, Vega®️, Wallaby®️ Organic and YoCrunch®️. With nearly 6,000 employees and 14 production locations across the U.S., Danone North America's mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible. For more information, visit www.danonenorthamerica.com. For more information on Danone North America's B Corp™️ status, visit: https://bcorporation.net/directory/danone-north-america.