The Executive Coaching Consultancy's Leave Policies
Here at The Executive Coaching Consultancy we’re fully committed to doing the right thing by our people and so we have an extensive range of policies that are designed to support all employees at every stage of their life and career. Our parental policies stand out and make us an employer of choice – they cover a range of needs for our working parents such as our parental leave and breastfeeding policies and we also offer ‘unspoken’ mental health days that can be taken as and when needed, no questions asked. These, of course, extend to all employees and not just those who are parents. We naturally offer agile and flexible working to ensure that our working culture is accessible to all, no matter their personal circumstances. We also have a Personal Leave Policy; we encourage an open culture where any of our employees can request paid leave across a number of reasons, from IVF, miscarriage, menopause and parental leave for those with children up until the age of 18 years. We encourage all staff to share experiences if they can, for example taking time off for period pain or menopausal symptoms so that we continue to normalise these conversations and break down old taboos.
We realise that every employee’s situation is unique to them, therefore our Personal Leave Policy will always remain flexible for those reasons. We regularly review these policies to ensure that we are evolve with the needs of our employees.
Parental Leave
At The Executive Coaching Consultancy we have equalised parental leave. This means, we offer all parents taking parental leave including, maternity, adoption, surrogacy, paternity or shared parental leave up to 26 weeks ordinary parental leave and up to 26 weeks additional parental leave, making a total of 52 weeks. This is regardless of the number of hours they work or their length of service. Additional parental leave begins on the day after ordinary parental leave ends.
The Executive Coaching Consultancy provides enhanced paternity pay for employees with two years' service or more
- Weeks 1-12: Full pay
- Weeks 13-24: 50% pay
- Weeks 25-39: Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
- Weeks 40-52: Unpaid leave
Employees with less than two years' service are entitled to an enhanced statutory parental package:
- 6 weeks at full pay
- 6 weeks at 50% pay
- 27 weeks SMP
All parental leave includes accrued holiday and bank holidays, and employee benefits remain in place throughout the leave period.
We also offer time off at normal rate of pay for any antenatal care; this may include relaxation or parent craft classes as well as medical examinations, if these are recommended by the doctor.
Shared Parental Leave Policy (SPL)
Employees may be able to get Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) if they’ve had a baby, used surrogacy to have a baby or adopted a child. Employees can start SPL if they’re eligible and they or their partner end their maternity or adoption leave or pay early. The remaining leave will be available as SPL. The remaining pay may be available as ShPP.
Employees can take SPL in up to 3 separate blocks. They can also share the leave with their partner if they’re also eligible. Parents can choose how much of the SPL each of them will take.
Parental Transition Coaching
We offer all our parental leave takers parental transition coaching to support them throughout this transition into parenthood. The programme includes a session before, during and after leave. In addition to that, the programme includes a session targeted at the leaver's manager offering a confidential space to navigate parental leave challenges with confidence. It helps managers avoid assumptions, make thoughtful decisions, and strengthen key leadership skills.
Additional Coaching Support
We offer all employees additional coaching support, including Fertility Support Coaching to help navigate fertility treatment alongside their professional lives. We also provide Perinatal Loss Coaching to support individuals experiencing the trauma of perinatal loss in a work context.
Breastfeeding
At The Executive Coaching Consultancy, we are committed to supporting employees who choose to continue breastfeeding when returning to work. We recognise the important health benefits for both mother and baby, as well as the positive impact on employee wellbeing. We provide a supportive and inclusive environment where breastfeeding employees are treated with respect and free from discrimination or harassment. Employees may take reasonable breaks during the working day to breastfeed or express milk, agreed with their line manager, and have access to a clean, private space (not a toilet) for this purpose. We encourage open communication so that appropriate arrangements can be made to meet both individual needs and business requirements, and we expect all colleagues and managers to take a supportive and understanding approach.
Personal Leave
At The Executive Coaching Consultancy, we recognise that personal and domestic responsibilities can sometimes impact working life, and we are committed to supporting colleagues with flexibility, empathy, and understanding. We encourage open conversations with managers so that appropriate arrangements can be made, and while paid leave is not an automatic entitlement, requests will always be considered with compassion, discretion, and fairness. We offer a range of support, including paid and unpaid leave for caring responsibilities, bereavement, fertility treatment, period health and menopause, acting as a donor, domestic abuse, and religious observance. We aim to be as flexible and accommodating as possible, ensuring individuals feel able to take the time they need to care for themselves and others, while balancing the needs of the business.
Flexible Working
We offer agile and flexible working to ensure that our working culture is accessible to all, no matter their personal circumstances.
We're flexible outside of core hours and trust our people to take ownership of their work. Start earlier, leave earlier, take a shorter lunch or leave a bit later, it's totally up to them.
If someone needs more flexibility, wants to WFH more or discuss other arrangements, they can chat to their manager. We'll always do our best to accommodate.