City firm Ashurst is doing away with ‘maternity’ and ‘paternity’ leave, instead rolling out 26 weeks of paid leave for all new parents ‘irrespective of gender identity’.

Under a new parental leave policy, Ashurst will offer 26 weeks of fully paid leave to all new parents across its global network, ‘to recognise the diversity of family life’. It also intends to remove gendered language so there is no distinction between primary and secondary carers, or maternity and paternity leave.

The policy also includes pregnancy loss provisions, comprising two weeks paid leave – regardless of whether it happens directly to them, their partner or their surrogate mother, plus an additional five days for related appointments. Staff who suffer pregnancy loss after the first 20 weeks of pregnancy will have access to 26 weeks paid leave.

Five days of paid leave per year is also included for anyone undergoing fertility treatments, and legal staff will be entitled to have a three-month reduction in chargeable hours targets when they return to work after having a baby.

Andrea Bell, chief people officer, said the policy marks a ‘significant enhancement’ to the firm’s existing policies. ‘Our commitment to supporting staff wellbeing will also see us introduce a formal pregnancy loss policy. We are committed to providing the most supportive environment that will enable our people to deal with the emotional and physical challenges that pregnancy loss brings.’

Global managing partner Paul Jenkins added: ‘As a global law firm we want to ensure that all our people have access to a globally consistent standard of support. Introducing this progressive new package of measures for our working parents is a key step in that.’

Last month, Kingsley Napley also announced a formal policy to provide paid time off from work due to pregnancy loss, in what is thought to be a first for the legal sector.