As the new school year starts...

...Aviva employees benefit from paid half-day off work on child’s first day.

As the new school season approaches, Aviva UK colleagues will benefit from its ‘Family Time Off’ policy, providing parents with the flexibility to take a half-day off work when their child starts a new primary or secondary school. This initiative is part of Aviva’s ongoing commitment to support the well-being of its employees and recognise the importance of family moments.

Starting a new school can be an anxious time for parents and children. A study carried out from 14 to 21 November 2023 revealed that almost 50% of parents felt emotional about their child’s transition to a new school year, and 41% said they were nervous or anxious.¹ Aviva aims to alleviate the stress often associated with the first day of school to ensure that parents can be fully present for their children during these significant milestones.

Aviva recognises that work-life balance is essential for employee well-being and productivity. By giving parents the opportunity to take time off for school start days, employees can balance their professional and personal lives with greater ease. As part of its wider initiative as an inclusive employer, Aviva also became one of the first UK employers to introduce an equal parental leave policy in 2017, offering new parents in its UK business 12 months parental leave, with six months at full basic pay. The half-day off work policy was introduced in 2016 and it was taken up by 585 UK employees in 2023.

Sophie Coman, Planning Consultant at Aviva

Sophie Coman works in the Norwich office as a Planning Consultant in Brand and Corporate Affairs and has worked at Aviva for over six years. She has two children, aged four and almost two years old, and benefitted from the Aviva maternity leave policy with both of her children. Sophie explains how she will be using her half-day when her daughter starts school this September:

“My daughter going to school feels particularly poignant for me as she was born in April 2020, a few weeks into the national lockdown. Becoming first time parents in a global pandemic isn’t something we expected, so this milestone feels even more momentous. It was a difficult time to navigate without the support my husband and I expected to receive, so this September is a chance to recognise how far we’ve come as a family. Our journey started in one of the strangest times for us, so to see my daughter thriving now makes my heart burst with pride and love.  

By taking a half-day of annual leave too, I’m able to take a full day off work and only use a half-day of my holiday, meaning I don’t have to rush back to work when I’m anticipating feeling quite emotional and wobbly. It’s important for me to be there for my daughter so I can walk her to school with my husband, and then pick her up and give her a big hug when she finishes at lunch time. I fully intend on using the half-day again when my son starts school in a few years, as I know there will be a whole host of emotions as another chapter ends and a new one begins.”

Dieuwke Sleeswijk Visser, Marketing Lead for Intermediary Wealth at Aviva

Dieuwke Sleeswijk Visser works in the Bristol office as a Marketing Lead for Intermediary Wealth and has worked at Aviva for six years. She has two children, aged three and four, who currently attend the Bristol office on-site nursery, which she describes as a ‘great help’ when she returned from maternity leave. It will be an adjustment for both Dieuwke and Sebastian, her four-year-old son, when he starts school and will be a bit further away this September:

 "Sebastian, my eldest child, is starting primary school this September. He’s really looking forward to it, so much so that yesterday he wore his school uniform to nursery! However, he is also a little nervous about making new friends and getting used to the routine. It’s great that Aviva offers time off so that parents can help their children settle into school. Most likely I’ll be using the time to frantically sort out the last bits, calm down any last-minute nerves, and reassure my younger daughter that it won’t be long before it’s her turn."

Sofia Abbas, Senior Legal Counsel at Aviva

Sofia Abbas works in the York office as a Senior Legal Counsel and has been at Aviva for over five years. She has three children, who are nine, seven and four years old, and was able to use the ‘Family Time Off’ policy when her middle daughter, Maryam, started school. Her youngest daughter, Inayah, is excited to follow in her older sisters’ footsteps. Sofia explained why she appreciates the policy even more this year, as Inayah starts school this week:

"Inayah has been asking me every day when she’s starting school, as she can’t wait to go to ‘big’ school like her older sisters. As she’s my youngest and last child starting school, I’m more apprehensive and emotional this time as it’s dawned on me that this will be the last time I have a little one starting school. I’ll be using my half-day to get her ready, take pictures and then get her settled at school. My husband also works for Aviva, so he will pick her up so they can spend the rest of the afternoon playing and catching up on how her first day at school went. It's great that Aviva recognises what an important and emotional day the first day at school can be, not just for the child, but also the parents."

Danny Harmer, Chief People Office at Aviva, commented on the policy: “We all know that the first day of school is a special, and slightly nerve-wracking, moment for children and parents. So, at Aviva, we give our people the time and flexibility to be there to support their children.”

-Ends-

References:

^{1. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) commissioned Censuswide to provide attitudinal insights to support the launch of the Better Health Start for Life ‘Little Moments Together’ campaign. This campaign launched on 10th January 2024, aiming to increase rates of school readiness by alerting parents to the importance of the early years and their own critical role in their child’s development. An online survey with a nationally representative sample of 2,000 parents (18+) with children aged 0-5 years old in England was conducted from 14 to 21 November 2023. When asked, ‘How, if any way at all, are you feeling about your child starting school? (select all that apply)’, ‘emotional’ was the most popular answer at 49.25%.} 

Media contacts:

Maddie Simpson
+44(0) 7385 142 190
maddie.simpson@aviva.com

Philippa Terry
+44(0) 7385 537 458
philippa.terry@aviva.com