Asda’s updated policy is available to all 140,000 staff and provides enhanced support, flexibility, and compassion above the normal statutory leave and pay. The policies will offer support to those navigating family life, including parenthood, caregiving, and personal loss.
- Enhanced maternity and adoption leave pay: Increasing company maternity and adoption leave pay for hourly colleagues, from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.
- Paternity leave: Doubling the duration from two weeks to four weeks at full contractual pay, as well as extending company paternity leave and pay to secondary kinship carers.
- Kinship carers leave: Introduction of a brand-new policy, providing 26 weeks’ company leave and pay for primary kinship carers for those caring for other children.
- Pregnancy loss pre 24 weeks: Enhancing the existing policy to provide two weeks’ company paid leave for those who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.
Jayne Allport - Usdaw national officer says: “Following ongoing discussions between Asda and Usdaw, we are pleased that the company has committed to providing valuable, additional support for our members when they need it most. We welcome that the company values the parents and carers working for them and understands their needs in balancing life and work.”
Helen Selby, General Counsel & Interim Chief People Officer at Asda, said: "We’re proud to be introducing new and enhanced family-friendly policies, which underline our commitment to fostering an inclusive and colleague-focused workplace. We want our colleagues to feel supported during some of the most important – and occasionally most challenging – moments in their lives. These changes further build on the progress we’ve made over the last year in supporting the beating heart of our business - our fantastic colleagues."
The latest family-friendly policy updates come as Asda launched a neonatal care leave policy in November 2024, providing colleagues with additional leave and pay if their baby is born needing neonatal care treatment after birth. Asda colleagues with a baby in neonatal care treatment for 7 full days or more are able to take up to a maximum of 12 weeks of paid leave, in addition to their maternity, paternity or adoption leave.
Notes for editors:
Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is one of the fastest growing unions in the TUC and the UK's fifth biggest trade union with around 360,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemical industry and other trades www.usdaw.org.uk
For Usdaw press releases visit: www.usdaw.org.uk/news and you can follow us on Bluesky @usdawunion.bsky.social and Twitter/X @UsdawUnion