Page 9 - 2017/2018 Salesanium Annual Report

school initiated a new maternity and paternity leave policy for employees, which went into effect during the 2017–18 school year. The policy seeks to grant new mothers in particular wide latitude to remain home for longer periods of time with infants and adopted children. We now have the best, most family-focused maternity policy of an educational institution that we know of and one that rivals the generosity of major corporations. We offer 16 weeks of paid leave, plus up to a year of unpaid. While mothers were the focus of the changes to the policy, adjustments
to the school’s paternity policy allow new fathers to take paternity leave in sequence, after their spouse, thereby allowing a couple to maximize paid time off with a new child. We are
making long-term investments in our employees with the understanding that this makes them better teachers and staff.
Beyond compensation, the school views the support of families as vital to staying competitive in hiring and retaining a talented faculty and staff. The changes to maternity and paternity leave policies benefit young and growing families, but
a new tuition program initiated in 2017–18 is aimed at supporting families with school-aged children. While Salesianum has long had a generous tuition-remission policy for the children of employees, this only pertained to high school-
aged children. In partnership with Ursuline Academy and St. Edmond’s
Academy, Salesianum families can now enjoy a substantial tuition break for students in kindergarten through 8th grade at either institution. Likewise, the children of St. Edmond’s and Ursuline employees can receive a similar break at Salesianum.
With more than 130 employees, managing staff turnover and
finding ways to maintain a talented workforce will remain a top priority. Several other initiatives aimed at employee retention were examined during the 2017–18 school year, but their complexity inhibited complete implementation. As we remain focused on our mission, the very people tasked with executing it will continue to be a high priority.
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