What parental leave brings back to work
Two years after Sandvik began rolling out global paid parental leave, the benefit has reached 54 countries and 465 employee applications. Behind the numbers are new parents learning what support means in practice.
There are many things new parents expect. Sleepless nights. Sudden routines. The strange new mathematics of feeding, comforting, washing, holding and trying to rest.
Then there are the things no one can fully prepare for.
For Egi Halyadi, Sales Engineer at Mining, the unforgettable part was also the hardest: “How to stop my baby from crying and make her comfortable. It’s still my homework.”
That is often where parental leave proves its value. In the early weeks at home, when a parent is learning a child’s needs in real time and family life is being recalibrated around them.
In 2024, Sandvik began introducing a global parental leave benefit for employees in countries where no equivalent or better benefit already existed. The benefit provides 14 weeks of leave at 90 percent of base pay and has been designed as a common minimum standard worldwide.
The gradual rollout was completed a year ago. So far, 465 employees have submitted applications. Men account for 77 percent of those applications, a result Sandvik anticipated because many local systems already provide stronger benefits for mothers than for fathers or non-birthing parents. India, Australia and Canada are among the countries where uptake has been strongest.
The benefit was designed as gender-neutral parental leave, supporting bonding with a new child, work-life balance and employee well-being.
For Cornelius Maputsi, an Accounts Payable Officer from Mining, the benefit became part of his first months as a father. “Having the opportunity to be at home during those early months meant everything to me,” he says.
The family was fortunate not to face health challenges, but the usual sleepless nights were enough to make dedicated time at home deeply important. Cornelius describes the leave as a chance to bond with his son, support his partner and experience the day-to-day reality of becoming a parent. Through that experience, he says, he gained a deeper appreciation for family time and a stronger sense of responsibility, both at home and at work.
If he had to sum up the Sandvik global parental leave benefit in one phrase, it would be: “Meaningful support when it matters most.”
Meaningful support when it matters most.
That support also reaches back into the workplace. For Halyadi, returning to work did not mean returning to chaos. His role had been handled by colleagues and communication had continued during his leave. That kind of team support is central to the impact of the benefit. A parent can only be fully present at home when there is trust at work.
According to him, workplaces gain healthier, more motivated employees when parents are given time and support to be with their families. The benefit also reflects a more rounded view of working life. People bring skills, experience and commitment to their roles, but their capacity to contribute is also shaped by family, care and responsibility outside the workplace. Recognizing that connection helps build a culture where people can sustain both their work and their personal lives with ease.
After two years, Sandvik global parental leave is no longer only a benefit being offered. It is becoming part of how the company supports employees through one of life’s defining transitions.