Lloyds Banking Group is rolling out a new e-learning programme to support employees undertaking maternity, paternity and adoption leave. This innovative programme has been developed in partnership with leading UK executive coaching company, Talking Talent, and is part of a new support proposition for working parents and their managers at the Group.
The course will be available to all employees and includes modules on preparing for maternity or adoption, maternity/adoption leave, as well as a post maternity module for employees who have returned to the workplace. There is a separate course for men taking standard or additional paternity leave.
With real life case studies, including short videos, employees will gain insight into some of the challenges they may face becoming working parents, as well as hints and tips for a smooth transition. These include how to communicate their pregnancy or maternity/paternity leave with customers and key stakeholders in the business; managing their work handovers; keeping in contact with the business when on leave and how to return to work seamlessly and with confidence.
The e-learning launch is part of a broader strategic initiative that will see Lloyds seek to support all employees and especially working parents and their managers through innovative training, a strong focus on flexible working and a new code of responsibility that demonstrates their commitment to work-life balance. The aim of this enhanced support will be to ensure employees have a consistently good experience and that Lloyds are retaining and progressing employees pre, during and post key transitions.
The initiative will see further incremental online support resource provided as well as trialling the up skilling of HR team members to become specialists in advising those employees going through maternity, paternity or adoption transitions. Alongside this, a parents work stream has also been added to the Group’s high-profile Women’s Network, Breakthrough, which includes an online forum for parents to connect, network and share experiences, a mentoring scheme which allows employees to find a mentor with specific experience or expertise of the transition to becoming a working parent and managing work-life balance and regular events for parents.
Fiona Canon, Director of Equality and Diversity at Lloyds Banking Group comments, “Becoming a working parent brings significant challenges and people need to feel supported pre, during and after they have returned to work in order to manage those changes effectively. We have always been seen as a good employer for working parents and we continue to be committed to creating a flexible working environment that allows working parents to flourish. These programmes are another key step towards achieving that and working with Talking Talent has allowed first class specialist advice to be overlaid on our own best practise.”
Chris Parke CEO of Talking Talent comments, “We have worked closely with Lloyds to develop an overall package which will offer first class support, guidance and advice for employees during these key transitions. It should make a real difference to managers and employees alike. Lloyds really understand the difference interventions like this can make and their current and future plans will build still further on what has been created here. It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with them on the initiative and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have across their business.”