UK top-100 firm Foot Anstey has announced a ‘market leading’ parental leave policy that will give new mothers and fathers within its workforce six months’ full pay.

The firm previously offered six months’ full pay for adoption, maternity and surrogacy leave. Other parental leave was at two months’ full pay. The updated policy will bring all parental leave to six months’ pay.

Enhanced family support is one strand of the firm’s ‘family forming’ package to support hopeful and expecting families, the firm said. Other benefits include access to reproductive healthcare support, enhanced neonatal support and pay during pregnancy, a ‘parental returners hub’ and a ‘back-up care’ offering. A new mortgage support benefit is also being introduced, which give staff one-to-one access to independent mortgage advisers.

Richard Turner

Richard Turner will be one of the first employees to benefit from the updated parental leave policy

Source: Foot Anstey

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The firm hopes its new and updated policies will ‘place the firm in a strong position to attract and retain talented individuals who are able to support the firm’s ambitious growth plans’.

In 2023/24, the firm’s turnover was more than £67m, and it recorded a net profit of £6.15m. The firm has achieved 44% growth since 2020 when revenue was around £46m. Last year, it became one of the first UK law firms to decide to donate 1% of its net profits to charity.

Richard Turner, group management accountant, will be one of the first employees to benefit from the updated parental leave policy. Turner said: 'It means the world to have this precious time to bond with our new baby, support my partner, and be fully present for these first moments as a family.’