The fashion tech company announced it is offering up to 20 weeks of fully paid family leave to all employees in Ireland, regardless of gender.
Rent the Runway, which has a European headquarters in Galway, said it will give up to 20 weeks of fully paid family leave for any employee in Ireland who becomes a parent.
Its new policy goes beyond the current statutory leave allowance policy in Ireland, which allows for 26 weeks’ paid maternity leave and two weeks paid paternity leave to parents of a child in the first six months after birth or adoption placement.
Under its new policy, any Rent the Runway employee that adopts a child, becomes a parent through surrogacy, is a birth parent or whose partner is a birth parent after working at the company for at least one year, will be eligible to take up to 20 weeks paid family leave commencing in the first year of the child’s birth.
The move announced today (22 June), forms part of Rent the Runway’s gender-neutral family leave policy designed to support families and promote inclusivity.
Rent the Runway VP and managing director for Ireland, Dorothy Creaven, said: “Our family leave policy further underlines Rent the Runway’s strong commitment to parental equality and will make a significant difference to Rent the Runway employees in Ireland, where traditional companies usually distinguish family leave based on maternity or paternity status.”
She added: “Rent the Runway strives to recognise and support the many facets and phases of employees’ lives and foster a culture that allows them to thrive both personally and professionally.”
Employees can take up to 20 weeks’ leave if they have been with the company for more than a year, 13 weeks’ leave based on six to 12 months employment, and six weeks’ leave based if they have been with the company for less than six months.
Rent the Runway was founded in 2009 and offers apparel, accessories and home decor from more than 650 designer partners, online and across five retail stores.
The company’s CEO and co-founder, Jenn Hyman, was named one of 50 Most Powerful Working Moms in 2019.
