A regional publisher has launched a raft of new policies aimed at helping journalists who are new parents, carers or have been recently bereaved.

Reach plc has announced fresh terms for employees which includes a new “carers leave”, allowing staff to take up to five days’ paid leave per year to support people with caring responsibilities.

The publisher is also offering up to 12 weeks of additional paid leave for either parent if their newborn baby requires neonatal care, while partners have been added to the policies to increase support beyond biological mothers around IVF paid leave and pregnancy loss leave.

Bereavement leave has doubled to two weeks and all employees returning to work following a bereavement will also have the option of setting up a phased return.

The announcement comes amid an ongoing dispute over pay between Reach and the National Union of Journalists, which could potentially lead to around 1,000 journalists going on strike.

Reach’s recently launched Family & Carers network was consulted as part of the policy creation process.

Deanne Blaylock, pictured, the group’s regional editor for the South-East and co-chair of the network, said: “At the Family & Carers network we welcome the move to enhance and extend the family policies to more people at Reach.

“As someone who’s found herself in the sandwich generation – with both a young child and ageing parents – I am particularly pleased to see the new provision for carers, which is a demographic which can often be forgotten.

“Caring for anybody is a lot and this is a big step in acknowledging this and providing the support that will give people some peace of mind as well as options when juggling work and family.”

Group HR director Julia Warren added: “We’re very proud to be able to offer our people these policies, which were created with the whole family unit in mind.

“Family life isn’t always straightforward and we wanted to recognise that in the support we offer our colleagues.

“However, our commitment to empathy and flexibility does not begin and end with policy.

“There will always be situations that we haven’t yet accounted for and we are empowering all of our managers to offer all employees the support they need, even if it’s not yet written down.”