Bridging the gap during parental leave

The birth of a child marks a major milestone in people's lives. It is a time of joy and change, but also a time when support from the workplace is crucial. At Orkuveitan, we believe that people should not have to choose between family life, financial security, and career development. A good workplace meets people where they are in life.

At Orkuveitan, we are always thinking about the future. We are involved in, among other things, energy production and the maintenance of vital infrastructure that affects people's lives every single day. We therefore take our role seriously and responsibly. That responsibility extends not only to society and nature, but also to the people who work here. The well-being, safety, and equality of our staff are prerequisites for achieving our future goals.

A strong foundation and continuous development

In recent years, we have systematically built a robust framework around parental leave. By ensuring normal wage development, the accrual of annual leave during the leave period, and having clear processes, we have emphasised stability and fairness.

We have now further stepped into our role as a leader in equality issues with new measures that reflect the diverse needs of modern families. We are making changes that we believe will make a good workplace even better:

• Paid leave for pregnant employees up to one month before the due date, without using their sick leave entitlement, to allow for rest and preparation.
• Part-time work after maternity/paternity leave, where parents are offered the chance to work 80% of their hours for full pay for up to three months. This option is available for the first two years of the child's life.
• Multi-purpose space at the workplace, designed with children's needs in mind, a space where play, laughter, and safety are a priority when circumstances require children to come to work.
• A cradle gift from Orkuveitan, a grant that will be used on the Kara Connect welfare platform and supports services related to pregnancy, childbirth, and a baby's first months.

These measures are part of a holistic vision for a workplace that we want to be family-friendly and take into account the needs of modern families.

Orkuveitan Bridges the Gap in Parental Leave

From 1 January 2027, Orkuveitan will guarantee full pay for up to six months during parental leave, with a defined cap. This payment is in addition to entitlements from the Parental Leave Fund and is intended to create greater security during one of the most important periods in the lives of all families with children. The changes apply to children born from the beginning of next year.

This is a key action in Orkuveitan's equality efforts. With it, we want to:

• reduce financial barriers to taking parental leave
• promote more equal uptake of leave by parents, especially fathers
• support equality in income and long-term pension accumulation

This is how we bridge the gap that has often influenced people's decisions, sending a clear message that parenthood is a shared responsibility.

Investing in people, and the future

Orkuveitan encourages all employees to exercise their right to parental leave. We want to create a work environment where people can actively participate in the labor market at different stages of their lives, without sacrificing security, ambition, or future prospects.

This is not just a human resources policy. This is an investment in people, equality, and the long-term competitiveness of Orkuveitan. By nurturing our people, we strengthen teamwork, initiative, and the creative forces that drive the energy transition, innovation, and sustainable development.

Orkuveitan consists of five companies that together form a whole. Orka náttúrunnar, Veitur, Carbfix, Ljósleiðarinn, and the parent company Orkuveitan are the companies that want to build a workplace that is desirable, responsible, and ready for the future. Together, we want to be a driving force that brings about real societal change and demonstrates in practice that equality and a family-friendly workplace culture are not secondary issues, but a prerequisite for a healthy society for the future.

Ása Björk Jónsdóttir, Erna Sigurðardóttir, Kristrún Pétursdóttir
The authors are human resources leaders within Orkuveitan (Reykjavik Energy).