Asda has today confirmed a significant enhancement to its family-friendly policies for all colleagues, strengthening the support the retailer offers colleagues during key life moments.
Asda’s updated policy is available to all 140,000 colleagues and provides enhanced support, flexibility, and compassion above the normal statutory leave and pay. The policies will offer support to those navigating family life, including parenthood, caregiving, and personal loss.
- Enhanced maternity and adoption leave pay | Increasing company maternity and adoption leave pay for hourly colleagues, from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
- Paternity leave | Doubling the duration from two weeks to four weeks at full contractual pay, as well as extending company paternity leave and pay to secondary kinship carers.
- Kinship carers leave | Introduction of a brand-new policy, providing 26 weeks company leave and pay for primary kinship carers for those caring for other children.
- Pregnancy loss pre 24 weeks | Enhancing our existing policy to provide two weeks company paid leave for those who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.
The new family leave policies were initially announced earlier this year, alongside the retailer’s £80m investment into increasing the hourly rates for store-based colleagues.
Helen Selby, general counsel & interim chief people officer at Asda, said: “We’re proud to be introducing new and enhanced family-friendly policies, which underline our commitment to fostering an inclusive and colleague-focused workplace. We want our colleagues to feel supported during some of the most important – and occasionally most challenging – moments in their lives. These changes further build on the progress we’ve made over the last year in supporting the beating heart of our business – our fantastic colleagues.”
Jayne Allport – Usdaw national officer says: “Following ongoing discussions between Asda and Usdaw, we are pleased that the company has committed to providing valuable, additional support for our members when they need it most. We welcome that the company values the parents and carers working for them and understands their needs in balancing life and work.”
The latest family-friendly policy updates come as Asda launched a neonatal care leave policy in November 2024, providing colleagues with additional leave and pay if their baby is born needing neonatal care treatment after birth. Asda colleagues with a baby in neonatal care treatment for 7 full days or more are able to take up to a maximum of 12 weeks of paid leave, in addition to their maternity, paternity or adoption leave.
