Family Matters
We care deeply about children’s development, and we understand the critical role parents and caregivers play especially during those early years. In 2020 we announced the introduction of extended parental leave for all LEGO® colleagues which includes 26 weeks paid childcare leave for the primary caregiver, 8 weeks paid leave for the secondary and a further initiative to provide a financial safety net for those life changing moments including permanent disability or death.
As the roll out continues we decided to check-in with some colleagues to find out how they got on as they’ve recently spent some special family time with their new arrivals.
Senior Engineer Brian Jensen took family leave to help his wife take care of their new born son William:
I initially took 2 months leave and then later I split up the remainder of my leave so that I only worked part time for a longer period. Having this time allowed me to be 100% focused on my wife and my family during what was a tricky time health wise for us.
From the start It was important to find a plan that not only worked around our needs but was adaptable as time went on. My people leader helped us find a structure that provided the flexibility and that worked around our changing family needs.
Since returning I’m glad of the different options of working from both the office in Billund and at home, as I still need to be close to helping with the William until he starts in day-care. So, working from home is a lifesaver for our family 😊.
Corporate Councel, Ada Geng describes her time off and her return to our Shanghai Hub:
I took 6 months off which allowed me to completely disconnect and focus on baby bonding with our baby girl 沈立乔 (In English: Georgia Shen). I found having this time away meant I found on my return I’m now able to concentrate and focus more because of the responsibility of being a mother to two babies has had. I feel the whole experience drives my inner motivation and purpose both at home and at work.
My team sent baby clothes to me during my leave and welcomed me with warmly meal first day back to work. They helped me enjoy a smooth work transfer and my leader arranged a check in right on my first day back which helped me settle back into hub life.
Digital Talent Acquisition Manager Tom Quirk took time off for the arrival of their 3rd child:
I was off initially for 3 weeks, and it was great to spend quality bonding time with our new daughter Cecily as well as our 2 boys, Wilf and Bertie who are now 5 and 3.
I was a little nervous as I thought that as I hadn’t been at the LEGO Group for that long I wouldn’t qualify for any extended leave so had intended to use some of my vacation time. I was surprised (and my wife Sam was very pleased!) when my leader told me I was, and it just meant that I had peace of mind to focus on such an Important milestone as a family. It also gave me another reason to think my decision to join the LEGO team was right 😊
Returning to work was good, everybody was very happy and wanted to see pictures. All were super respectful that we had our hands full on some days, so it was a lovely re-entry to work.
I’m now making sure there is time for family in my days and managing my diary so I am achieving at work as well as helping where I can.
Digital Product Designer Marie-Louise Christensen describes her maternity leave:
I had an absolutely fantastic time! I enjoyed spending time with my daughter Frida and not having to rush through the day and the chores. I also enjoyed taking long strolls with baby carriage during which I had a lot of the time to reflect on life; myself, my relations and my work life on a different level.
I feel the flexibility takes a lot of pressure of me and my family. The options truly help shape and maintain the kind of family life I value. What really stands out at the LEGO Group is how flexible the work life is in general; not having to ask for permission constantly to leave an hour earlier or work from home – compared to what I hear from friends working elsewhere.
We've created these policies to support our aspiration to promote family-friendly workplaces across our supply chain and we're excited to be on track to meet our goal of rolling them out globally in 2022. Find out how you can be part of the LEGO team today.