A revolutionary move.

Drinks company Diageo is set to introduce an "ambitious" new family leave policy to workers in Ireland and across international outlets, with both men and woman afforded 26 weeks fully paid parental leave. Announced on Wednesday (22 May), the new policy aims to set "a global minimum standard" of four weeks paternity leave on full rate of pay in all Diageo markets, with a significant number of their businesses moving to a 26-week fully paid paternity leave system. Ireland is one such location set to benefit from the 26-week option, alongside North America, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Russia, Colombia, Venezuela, and Australia. "The business hopes the policy will support employees to focus on the joy of raising a young family, while continuing to thrive at work, and ensuring women and men are supported to have time with their new baby regardless of where they live and work," notes an official Diageo statement. As a result of the move, over 1,000 Irish employees will be offered the full 26 weeks. “We are committed to creating a fully inclusive and diverse workforce and we strongly believe that businesses play a significant role in shaping the future of society," said Diageo Chief HR Officer Mairéad Nayager. "Global businesses like Diageo must make bold moves on policies and the environments in which their employees work to ensure that the progress people deserve happens.”