Better commits to the Parental Challenge

For parenthood and blooming carrier to rhyme in harmony

In Finland, parents are entitled to receive the äitiysvapaa and the isyysvapaa ( the mother and the father parental leave, respectively) for 164 days. The Marin Cabinet made this huge step forward in 2020 to allow future parents to adapt to the arrival of their newborn in the most equal and flexible environment possible. 

A year ago in France, paternity leave was extended to 28 days; a drop in the ocean, you may think. But there is no need to be negative. 

We are going in the right direction, and you know what? Companies can get things moving faster. In July 2022, Better & Stronger signed the Parental Challenge, in line with our previous parenthood protection commitments.

Why should great parenthood support be a company’s priority?

Two years ago, we joined a hundred French companies to sign the Parental Act, a charter that guaranteed one month of paid parental leave for each employee, woman or man, who becomes a parent. This movement led to a government change in legislation, and 14 days of paternity leave were added to the 14 existing ones. 

But, we still want to go a step further. 

In July, we signed the Parental Challenge to facilitate the arrival of this happy event because we think that a company should not stand in the way of personal project fulfilment. On the opposite, it should help employees prepare themselves better. 

With this charter, we made a step forward to the healthy work environment we want to set so that everyone feels free to discuss life situations transparently - whether complicated or joyful. 

Our company. Our safe place.

How does it work? 

With lockdowns, we now know the impact on our mental health of managing individually personal and professional life. The Parental Challenge offers a healthy space to communicate desires, needs for support and everything that could enhance working conditions in such moments.

Lorena Sassman, our Performance expert, the special care Better&Stronger offered during her pregnancy  truly mattered to her: 

Lorena Sassman, Performance Expert

What does the Parental Challenge look like?

The Parental Challenge is composed of: 

• A 12 measures charter, signed by our CEO and servant leader, Simon Néouze. It ensures more basic rights for our employees 

On the menu: 

• Better care and support for long leave (adoption, parental leave, IVF, child loss…) as a starter 
• For the main course: flexible access to remote working, to 100% from home, if the position allows it
• A reorganisation of working hours to prevent the exclusion of parents that have personal obligations before 9 am and after 6 pm for dessert

Discover nine other measures on the Parental Challenge charter.

• A guide of 100 actionable solutions ready to help companies make the transition

Implementing all these measures is not always easy, depending on the company's size and growth, but small and free steps can be made first. 

For instance, one in two employees does not know his rights regarding parental leave (Parental Challenge). Clarifying the company's parental politics doesn’t cost anything. It’s a matter of transparency; according to Glassdoor, an employee desires. 

For our CEO, Simon Néouze, we are at the beginning of big changes in work organisation and environment in general, and it is a pride to have the chance to make things move. 

This commitment takes root in a more global project of breaking taboos in our company, whether it is to talk about the project of sabbatical years or having a child.

What will we do next? Get inspired by our team’s needs and senses to create a more positive environment.