Scottish energy company SSE has launched a series of “significant” improvements to its family leave policies.
The company said the move was part of a drive to attract more people into its workforce as it steps up efforts to invest up to £24 billion in the UK over the next decade.
The new measures include:
- Partner’s leave – an additional seven weeks’ paid leave for partners of parents who take maternity or adoption leave. Together with paternity leave, this gives partners nine weeks’ paid leave in total.
- Pregnancy loss leave – two weeks’ leave at full pay for employees who suffer a pregnancy loss, including partners.
- Leave for fertility treatment – up to two weeks’ leave at full pay.
We know we must attract and retain the best talent in order to achieve our aims. And that means doing things differently.”
John Stewart, human resources director, SSE.
Already employing close to 11,000 people, SSE is growing its workforce and plans to add at least 1,000 new roles every year to 2025.
The Perth-based company has hired an additional 1,200 people during the past year, including a record number of apprentices and graduates.
Valuable family time
SSE workers Beth and Owen MacKenzie are among the couples benefitting from the changes.
Mrs MacKenzie, 29, said: “The additional seven weeks is time that we never thought we would get to share together as a family.
“It is also helpful knowing Owen will be around to help out after the birth for this extended period.”
Mr MacKenzie added: “I’m planning to take five weeks initially so I can spend an extended period of quality time with my wife and our newborn, which I’m very grateful for as I’ll never get that time back.
“I will then spread the further four weeks throughout the year to help support my wife when I can.”
Cleaner, cheaper and more secure homegrown energy is possible. It's what building a net zero energy system will achieve. But it needs action now, not just ambition.
This is why we’re investing an average of £7m every day in #netzero technologies. ⚡
— SSE Plc (@SSE) August 3, 2022
SSE human resources director John Stewart said: “We are racing ahead with our plans to deliver a cheaper, cleaner more secure homegrown energy system for the UK and Ireland.
“Our ambitious plans include building the world’s largest offshore wind farm (Dogger Bank, off the Yorkshire coast) and the network to deliver the electricity to where it is needed.
“But we know we must attract and retain the best talent in order to achieve our aims. And that means doing things differently.”
‘Many ways to start a family’
Mr Stewart added: “In the context of a large electricity infrastructure business these changes are progressive.
“These latest steps are about recognising there are many ways to start a family and we want all our employees to feel they are supported wherever they are on their journey.”
SSE, formerly Scottish and Southern Energy, can trace its heritage back nearly 80 years to the advent of electricity generation in the north of Scotland.
Conversation