A coalition of experts and leading companies spearheaded by Danone US and including EY, Nestlé, Barclays, KKR, American Academy of Pediatrics and Cornell University commit to implementing a range of parental workplace support practices that ultimately improve health, development, and economic outcomes for both families and companies. These practices around parental workplace support range from transformative strategies, such as longer and paid parental leave, to more modest yet highly meaningful ones, such as providing transitions coaching to new parents.

These practices are clustered in three areas:
1. Company culture: Flexible return to work policies, supportive cultures, leadership training
2. In-office support: Dedicated, appropriate lactation facilities, daycare proximity, education for parents
3. Parental leave: Longer leave, paid leave, leave options expanded to different family units (e.g., same sex couples) and for adoption / surrogacy

Specifically, each partner commits to the following family workplace improvements:

- Danone US: Danone US (via its affiliates Dannon, Stonyfield, YoFarm/YoCrunch, Happy Family, Nutricia Early Life Nutrition, Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition, and Danone Waters of America), commits to extending paid maternity leave to six months, including in the case of adoption and/or in the case of surrogacy and extending the same leave benefit to those Danoners who are the primary care givers within same sex couples. These steps are part of a broader plan to improve parental support programs that will also include additional strategies (e.g., Managers training, Parents support Groups, Breastfeeding facilities, among others).

- EY: EY commits to developing an awareness campaign and driving leaders, employee resource groups and talent professionals to encourage those men who are eligible, to take the full six-weeks of paid leave. Currently, nearly all men take two weeks of parental leave when the baby is born and only some (10%) take the additional four weeks available to them when the mom goes back to work or school. By December 2018, EY commits to double the percentage of men who take the full six weeks of paid leave to 20% from 10%. In addition, EY will create learning materials for all parents to use independently based on a successful Career and Family Transitions maternity and paternity coaching program started in December 2012. By making these materials available and utilizing EY’s internal Executive Coaching team’s expertise, EY commits to increasing the percentage of parents who are invited to participate in the one-on-one coaching sessions or the self-guided learning materials from 10% to 30% by December 2018. Finally, EY will continue to focus on enhancing their flexible culture as internal research indicates that flexibility is one of the strongest drivers of retention. As such, EY commits to increase the percentage of people who agree or strongly agree they have the flexibility they need to achieve their personal and professional goals to 75% of the U.S. organization by 2018.

- Nestlé: In June 2015, Nestlé announced a new U.S. maternity policy that establishes that all Nestlé female employees, including hourly employees, would be eligible for up to 14 weeks partially paid maternity leave, including six to eight weeks of postnatal leave, the ability to extend caregiver leave up to six months unpaid with job protection and company portion of benefits contributions paid, and that these provisions be applicable to employees who are the primary caregivers of their newborns including adoptive parents and male employees. In an effort to emphasize the integral role this maternity policy plays in supporting Nestlé’s commitment to gender balance, Nestlé commits to conducting internal analysis with the aim of understanding the impact of this policy on female employee retention. Nestlé commits to tracking the number of female employees who take advantage of the new maternity policy and attrition of female employees, and to sharing findings with coalition partners and CGI. Data to be collected include: the number of female employees at Nestlé in the U.S. who took maternity leave in 2016 and 2017. Of those employees who took leave, Nestlé will measure how many remained active employees at 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months following their return to work. Nestlé recognizes that multiple factors impact retention of female employees. However, with these findings, they aim to contribute to the ongoing dialogue regarding the potential impact of expanded maternity leave policies on improving gender balance in the workplace, with a particular view toward attrition of female employees.

- Barclays: To support new parents, Barclays currently provides 16 weeks of leave at 100% pay for primary caregivers following the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child. Currently, the policy requires caregivers to take leave immediately following the event. Barclays acknowledges that personal circumstances may require additional time-off and flexibility in the way parental leave is taken. Thus, Barclays pledges to create flexibility in its return-to-work parental policies that allows primary caregivers to structure their time away (16 weeks) and return to work in a way that best meets their work, family and personal obligations. By December 2016, Barclays will formalize the return-to-work flexibility program and launch an awareness campaign.

- KKR: KKR supports a new mother’s right and desire to breastfeed her children. As such, KKR commits to improving its policies and resources for those employees who choose to breastfeed through a series of efforts designed to advance the tools and resources available to nursing mothers. KKR commits to reviewing and identifying opportunities for improvement in all lactation rooms across its U.S. offices to ensure a private and appropriate space while breastfeeding. The firm will also incorporate sensitivity training for team managers to ensure that all employees are provided an environment where nursing/pumping breaks are enabled and made comfortable. KKR will also begin in 2016 to provide in-network coverage for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs), which are generally out-of-network providers. Furthermore, KKR will institute a policy that allows female executives traveling for business to ship breast milk home to their baby or babies. KKR also recognizes that families come in many different forms with varying needs. As a firm, KKR supports employees who give children a safe and loving home through adoption. In 2016, KKR commits to expanding the existing US Adoption Assistance Program globally to all employees. Through this program, employees can get reimbursed with pre-tax dollars up to $13,400 per adoption for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the process of legally adopting an eligible child; including adoption fees, court costs, attorney fees, and related travel costs. KKR will determine the appropriate local market equivalent practices in all international office locations.

In addition, Danone will facilitate the exchange of best practices and tools to support companies to implement these changes effectively. As part of this effort, the American Academy of Pediatrics will provide access to existing educational tools and resources to the companies making this commitment, around key areas such as early development, self-care support for mothers, nutrition and breastfeeding, among others. Additionally, Cornell University will provide the expertise of faculty, academics, and staff in the areas of global maternal and infant health to commitment making organizations.

To expand the impact of this commitment to more companies and organizations, the Coalition will drive a roll-out strategy that includes showcasing this Commitment in the context of the United Nations Program “Every woman, Every Child,” where currently 60 international companies are active members looking for additional / new engagement opportunities in the parental support space. Additionally, partners will lead a session at the next Work-Life Balance Congress attended by over 700 Companies and HR executives to be held October 14th/15th in New York.

Danone US affiliates*:
- 80% of employees have access to dedicated, equipped breastfeeding rooms
- 60% of employees are aware of Parental Support benefits.
- 40% of managers are trained to support parents in the workplace initiatives
- 50% of Parents have access to parental education resources from Commitment Partners
- All eligible employees have access to extended paid maternity leave of 6 months, including in the case of adoption and/or in the case of surrogacy. Same leave benefit applies to those Danoners who are the primary care givers within same sex couples.

EY:
- Increase percentage of men who take four to six weeks to 13% of all men who take parental leave
- Increase the percentage of moms and dads who participate in Transitions coaching to 20%

Nestlé:
- 100% completion of implementation of inaugural year of Nestlé’s maternity leave policy.
- 100% completion of initial data collection to evaluate impact of maternity policy on attrition of female employees. Data to be collected include: the number of female employees at Nestlé in the U.S. who took maternity leave in 2016. Of those employees who took leave, measure how many remained active employees at 6 months. Nestlé will also collect this data at 12 months and 18 months following their return to work.

Barclays:
- Formalize the return-to-work flexibility program and launch an awareness campaign
- Ongoing manager training on flexible return-to-work policies

KKR:
- 80% of U.S. employees have access to dedicated, equipped lactation rooms
- 100% of U.S. employees have access to in-network coverage for use of IBCLCs
- 80% of U.S. employees are aware of policies and resources for nursing mothers, including lactation rooms, breast milk shipping, and lactation consultant support.
- 40% of U.S. managers are trained to recognize and support the needs of nursing mothers

By December 2017:

Danone US affiliates*:
- 90% of employees have access to dedicated, equipped breastfeeding rooms
- 80% of employees are aware of Parental Support benefits.
- 70% of managers are trained to support parents in the workplace initiatives

EY:
- Increase percentage of men who take four to six weeks to 16% of all men who take parental leave
- Increase the percentage of moms and dads who participate in Transitions coaching to 25%

Nestlé:
- 100% completion of data collection of female employees who took maternity leave in 2016. The data to be collected includes: the number of female employees at Nestlé in the U.S. who took maternity leave in 2016 and remained active employees after 12 months following their return to work; the number of female employees at Nestlé in the U.S. who took maternity leave in 2016 and remained active employees after 18 months following their return to work.
- 100% completion of initial data collection to evaluate impact of maternity policy on attrition of female employees who took maternity leave in 2017. Data to be collected includes the number of female employees at Nestlé in the U.S. who took maternity leave in 2017. Of those employees who took leave, measure how many remained active employees at 6 months following their return to work. Compare against 2016 baseline.

Barclays:
- Ongoing manager training on flexible return-to-work policies

KKR:
- 80% of employees globally have access to dedicated, equipped lactation rooms
- 80% of employees globally are aware of policies and resources for nursing mothers, including lactation rooms, breast milk shipping, and lactation consultant support (where applicable)
- 80% of employees globally have access to the adoption support program and reimbursement
- 70% of managers globally are trained to recognize and support the needs of nursing mothers

By December 2018:

Danone US affiliates*:
- 95% of our eligible employees have access to dedicated, equipped breastfeeding rooms
- 90% of Danone US employees are aware of Parental Support benefits.
- 85% of Danone US managers are trained to support parents in the workplace initiatives

EY:
- Increase percentage of men who take four to six weeks to 20% of all men who take parental leave
- Increase the percentage of moms and dads who participate in Transitions coaching to 30%

Nestlé:
- 100% completion of data collection of female employees who took maternity leave in 2017. The data to be collected includes: the number of female employees at Nestlé in the U.S. who took maternity leave in 2017 and remained active employees after 12 months following their return to work and the number of female employees at Nestlé in the U.S. who took maternity leave in 2016 and remained active employees after 18 months following their return to work. Compare against 2016 baseline.
- 100% completion of initial data collection to evaluate impact of maternity policy on attrition of female employees who took maternity leave in 2018. Data to be collected includes the number of female employees at Nestlé in the U.S. who took maternity leave in 2017. Of those employees who took leave, measure how many remained active employees at 6 months following their return to work. Compare against 2017 baseline.

Barclays:
- Ongoing manager training on flexible return-to-work policies

KKR:
- 100% of employees globally have access to dedicated, equipped breastfeeding rooms
- 95% of employees globally are aware of our policies and resources for nursing mothers, including lactation rooms, breast milk shipping, and lactation consultant support (where applicable)
- 100% of employees globally have access to the adoption support program and reimbursement
- 90% of managers globally are trained to recognize and support the needs of nursing mothers

(*) For employees under Union agreements there will be dedicated discussions with Union representatives as part of the ongoing collective agreements process.