Retailer adopts ‘Dads & Sons’ policy

Electrical
retailer Comet is to give fathers time off to spend with their sons.

Comet
managing director Rob Cissell announced the plan as part of the Department for
Education and Skills’ Dads & Sons campaign.

This
September Comet, whose workforce is 69 per cent male, will offer employee
fathers one paid hour off work to spend pursuing educational activities with
their 11-14 year old sons.

"The
Dads & Sons ‘Give an Hour’ scheme is a fantastic opportunity for Comet to
proactively support our employees in their role as parents, and as a dad of a
young son myself, I can certainly recognise the huge benefit in us spending
time together," said Cissell. "Any initiative that helps dads develop
a good relationship with their sons deserves huge support – hence Comet’s
involvement with this great scheme."

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Head
of policy research at the Work Foundation, Andy Westwood, said:
"Increasingly, companies are realising that it is in their interests to
help their staff achieve a healthy work-life balance. Employees are often parents
too and nothing beats investing time in the education and development of
children. The Dads & Sons ‘Give an Hour’ initiative is a step in the right
direction."

By Quentin
Reade