AXA launches global parental leave policy

• AXA Group employees will receive a minimum of 16 weeks and 4 weeks fully paid maternity
  and paternity leave, respectively.
  
• This new policy will apply in all AXA Group entities as of January 1st, 2017.

AXA is launching as of January 1st, 2017 this groundbreaking parenting policy to support employees in all of the 64 countries in which it operates. Whatever their family situation, all Group employees will receive a minimum of 16 weeks and 4 weeks fully paid maternity (1) and paternity (2) leave, respectively. Where local laws or current benefits go beyond these advantages, the greater benefit will continue to be applied. To encourage employees to take advantage of this policy, AXA guarantees that employees who do so can return to an equivalent role with the same salary and benefit structure.

In order to help its employees balance the demands of their professional and private lives. AXA will offer flexible working options to each parent as well as dedicated HR and management support before, during and after the period of parental leave.

(1) Maternity or primary parent leave: the primary parent will take the primary responsibility for welcoming a child into the family. In cases involving the pregnancy of an employee or their partner, the pregnant woman is automatically the primary parent.

(2) Paternity or co-parent leave: the co-parent who takes responsibility for welcoming the child into the family but will not take the primary parent leave. In cases involving the pregnancy of an employee or their partner, the person who is not pregnant is automatically the co-parent.