Estée Lauder Companies sued over parental leave policy

Cosmetics giant Estée Lauder is being sued for allegedly discriminating against men.

Estee’s parent firm Estée Lauder Companies has been accused of having a policy allowing new fathers to take only two weeks of paid leave for “child bonding”, whereas new mothers get six, a US lawsuit filed yesterday says.

“Child-bonding” leave is in addition to the paid leave new mothers receive for childbirth recovery.

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also said female staff were given more flexible arrangements when they returned to work.

The commission said the firm “violated federal law when it implemented… a paid parental leave programme that automatically provides male employees… lesser parental leave benefits than are provided to female employees”.

The lawsuit began when a male employee in Maryland was denied the six weeks of paid parental leave.

Estée Lauder Companies, whose UK and Ireland head office in Fitzrovia offers staff manicures, today declined to comment.