According to findings issued by Maternity Action in 2023, 71% of women on maternity leave worry about money. To reduce spending, three-quarters turn their heating off or down and a quarter skip meals – with 1 in 20 going without food for a whole day.
Today the basic rate statutory maternity pay is just 47% of the National Living wage, in comparison to 2021 when it was 62.5%. 
In line with Elizabeth Finn Homes commitment to being an outstanding employer, and with the full support of its charity owners Turn2us, the group has launched a progressive parental leave pay policy that aims to provide all employees who become parents the opportunity to take time to bond with, support, and raise their child during the first year of the child’s life, or in the case of adoption, the first year of an employee becoming a parent to the child.
This marks a significant milestone in the care home group’s strategic objectives to provide outstanding and inclusive careers in care, operating as an exemplar employer and indicates a firm commitment to supporting staff as they become new parents.
“I am utterly delighted to announce the launch of our new and greatly enhanced Family Leave Policy,” comments Dr Olivia Curno, Chief Executive. “We believe we have developed one of the most progressive, generous and family-centred approaches in the care sector. We continuously strive to be a caring, supportive employer and by offering these enhanced benefits, we set an example we hope other providers will follow.”
The new Elizabeth Finn Homes Family Leave Policy now in place, outlines the rights and entitlements of employees when welcoming a new child into their lives, setting out both basic and enhanced entitlements relating to new and expectant birth parents at work, birth parent leave, shared parental leave, adoption leave, co-parent leave, parental leave and parental bereavement leave.
Dr Curno explains further: “The margins in care are incredibly tight. It’s a chronically underfunded sector trying to meet ever mounting needs and costs but short-changing new parents is a false economy. Comparing care sector spending on agency staff and recruitment, excellent family policies might be just the investment we should be making to keep social care workers – 81% of whom are women – healthy, happy and retained by our sector.”
Elizabeth Finn Homes employs over 750 staff across its eight residential homes, and all are paid a real living wage. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the charity Turn2us and was founded by Elizabeth Finn, a pioneering philanthropist, who set up the Distressed Gentlefolks’ Aid Association in 1897.
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