MINNEAPOLIS, MN—June 21, 2016—Robins Kaplan LLP® announced today a new parental leave program that will offer all regular employees 10 weeks of paid parental leave in addition to applicable medical leave benefits, which will generally provide a total of at least 16 paid weeks for birth mothers. The policy is effective immediately.
“We recognize the need for competitive benefits that will allow our firm members to continue to excel in both work and life,” said Steve Schumeister, managing partner and member of the Executive Board at Robins Kaplan. “The firm has always upheld a strong commitment to women and diversity, and we believe this enhancement will further enable all working parents to advance their careers as well as their families.”
In addition to increasing the amount of paid leave offered for employees, the firm is rolling out several additional benefits to assist attorneys in their transition back to work after parental leave. These include a ramp-up period, which will allow each individual attorney to increase the intensity of their practice at their own pace for up to three months upon their return without any change in compensation; a parental leave mentoring program that will be administered by the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Department; and an alternative work arrangements policy that provides options for increased flexibility.
These enhancements are part of the firm’s Leaders Engaged in the Advancement of Diversity (LEAD) initiative, established last year by the Executive Board to focus on holding firm leaders accountable for the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women, people of color, and LGBT individuals. Increasing support for working parents is one of eight tactics identified within the initiative. Other LEAD tactics include expanding the firm’s 1L program to increase the number of diverse entry-level attorneys at the firm, implementing the “Rooney Rule” for lateral associate candidates to ensure that diverse candidates are considered for each open associate position, and conducting training throughout the firm to increase awareness as to the impact of unconscious bias.
“The LEAD initiative was established to ensure that we are able to attract and retain the most talented people, and promote their success at the firm for the long-term,” added Schumeister. “Coupled with the increase in paid parental leave, we believe we have an environment that will continue to serve and benefit our firm members and provide exceptional service and value to our clients.”
