Last Updated: November 2025
Contact: info@ihtimam.org
1. Statement of Intent
At İhtimam, we do not view care as a private matter confined to the home or as an invisible responsibility disproportionately placed on women. For us, care is a shared human condition, the foundation of economic value, and a collective responsibility.
Our aim is to help standardize a model of work in which unpaid care work is recognized, the disproportionate care burden carried by employees—especially women—is reduced, and care responsibilities are distributed more equitably across genders. We consider supporting the wellbeing of our employees and their broader care networks to be a fundamental part of our workplace culture.
In our care support policies, we are committed to an inclusive approach that applies equally to full-time and part-time workers and recognizes all family forms, including same-gender parents, adoptive parents, foster parents, single parents, and unmarried partners.
We do not limit the concept of “family” to legal marriage or biological ties. Aunts, uncles, cousins, close family friends, housemates, and the chosen families of LGBTQIA+ individuals are all included within the scope of our care policies. The people and animals with whom our employees share their lives are considered a natural part of their care networks. We make a particular effort to support historically marginalized communities and single parents in navigating care responsibilities.
İhtimam is committed not only to applying care ethics in its relationships with salaried employees, but also in its engagements with consultants, freelancers, project-based contributors, and volunteers. We strive to act with care in matters of time, compensation, communication, and expectation management.
2. Care Leave
Equal and Non-Transferable Parental Leave:
Regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or pathway to parenthood (birth, adoption, or foster care), we provide all primary and secondary caregivers with a minimum of 24 weeks of paid parental leave. To encourage meaningful uptake by partners, we adopt a “use it or lose it” approach.
Elder and Adult Care Leave:
Care responsibilities extend beyond childcare. We provide up to 10 days of paid Emergency Care Leave per year for responsibilities related to aging parents, partners, or other loved ones in need of care, including medical appointments, accompaniment, and similar needs.
Phased Return to Work:
Employees returning from extended care leave may work at 60% capacity while receiving 100% of their salary during their first month back, helping them transition smoothly into work. In addition to flexible working arrangements, we provide an individualized Return-to-Work Planning Process. This plan is developed collaboratively by the employee, their manager, and Human Resources, with goals, capacity, and care responsibilities assessed together.
Pawternity Leave:
Employees who adopt a cat or dog are entitled to 2 days of paid leave to support the adjustment period at home.
Veterinary and Pet Bereavement Leave:
We provide leave for veterinary appointments when a companion animal becomes ill and paid bereavement leave in the event of their death.
Inclusive Bereavement Leave:
We reject hierarchies of grief. Paid bereavement leave is available not only for the loss of immediate family members, but also for pregnancy loss, the death of a companion animal, or the loss of a chosen family member. We recognize that grief cannot be reduced to a fixed number of days and commit to making emotional and practical support mechanisms—such as mentoring, facilitated conversations, and care planning—available throughout the grieving process.
Volunteer Leave:
To encourage civic engagement and participation in civil society, we provide 3–5 days of paid volunteer leave per year.
3. Care Infrastructure and Support
We aim to reduce time poverty and support the everyday wellbeing of our employees.
Care Allowance:
Rather than relying solely on single-purpose solutions such as childcare subsidies, we aspire to provide every employee with a monthly Care Allowance in addition to their salary. This support may be used for childcare, elder care, domestic assistance, meal preparation services, or other care-related needs.
Access to Care Technologies and Services:
We seek to facilitate access to care technologies and services that reduce time and labour burdens, either through partnerships or financial support.
Transportation and Logistics:
We prioritize remote work wherever possible. When physical presence is required, we strive to provide solutions that support safe, efficient, and accessible travel.
Breastfeeding and Pumping Support:
We provide appropriate facilities for breastfeeding employees and recognize time spent expressing milk as paid working time.
Care Support During Work Travel:
For employees with caregiving responsibilities, we are committed to exploring solutions that help cover caregiving-related costs associated with business travel, including childcare, companion care, accommodation, or accompanying support.
Sandwich Generation Guidance:
We aim to provide guidance and information for employees simultaneously caring for children and aging relatives, helping them navigate available care services and resources.
Care Committee:
We seek to maintain a mechanism through which the care needs of employees and volunteers can be regularly discussed and addressed. Caregivers are encouraged to participate in decision-making processes, and care responsibilities, wellbeing needs, and experiences related to organizational culture are reviewed on an ongoing basis.
Pet-Friendly Supports:
Where feasible, we may provide opportunities for employees to work alongside their companion animals. We also offer guidance and care planning support to ease adjustment periods following adoption or major changes in caregiving responsibilities.
4. Health and Recovery
At İhtimam, recovery is not viewed as passive time away from work, but as an active process of care.
Recovery and Care Package:
For illnesses requiring more than three days of medical leave, we send a supportive recovery package to the employee’s home containing nourishing food and comfort items.
Mental Wellbeing and Digital Quiet:
We guarantee that employees on medical leave will not receive work-related emails and are entitled to a complete digital disconnect. This commitment also applies to mental health leave taken due to burnout, stress, or other psychological wellbeing needs.
Menstrual and Menopause Support:
Employees experiencing severe menstrual pain, menopause-related symptoms, or reproductive health challenges may take one day of paid leave per month without requiring medical documentation. Flexible working arrangements and camera-off meetings are available without question.
Gender Affirmation Support:
Employees undergoing gender affirmation processes are entitled to up to 10 days of paid leave per year for medical and legal procedures. We also strive to ensure that their chosen name and pronouns are reflected across all organizational systems.
We recognize that mental health, like physical health, may require care, support, and accommodation. Burnout, anxiety, grief, caregiving pressures, loneliness, and similar experiences are part of human life, and we seek to facilitate access to appropriate forms of support whenever needed.
Protection Against Secondary Trauma and Emotional Labour:
We acknowledge that work involving traumatic content, crises, or intense emotional demands can lead to secondary trauma. Following such work, we aim to facilitate access to rest, workload adjustments, and professional support when appropriate.
5. Digital Wellbeing and Work Culture
At İhtimam, burnout is not a badge of honor; it is a sign of a system design failure.
Right to Disconnect:
Team members are not expected to respond to messages or communication channels outside working hours, on weekends, or during leave periods.
Asynchronous First:
We resist the culture of constant availability. Slack messages and emails are not commands requiring immediate action but notes to be addressed when appropriate. We protect the right to focused, uninterrupted work.
Full Autonomy:
As long as agreed-upon goals are met, employees may organize their working hours and locations according to their caregiving responsibilities without requiring prior approval.
Process- and Relationship-Oriented Evaluation:
We evaluate performance not only through outputs but also through the quality of the relationships and care practices involved in producing those outcomes. Working excessively at the expense of one’s wellbeing is not rewarded; sustainability is prioritized.
We also recognize the environmental impact of our digital presence and strive to follow principles of data efficiency and sustainable web practices.
6. Ecosystem and Advocacy
İhtimam believes that the care crisis cannot be solved through individual solutions alone but requires public investment and systemic transformation. We therefore advocate for stronger public care infrastructure, economic justice, recognition of care work, and gender equality.
1. Public Care Infrastructure and Investment
We support the transfer of care responsibilities from families—most often women—to public institutions and systems.
Infrastructure Investments:
We advocate for investments in essential public infrastructure such as safe water, clean energy, and accessible public transportation to reduce the time poverty experienced by women and girls.
Universal Care Services:
We support the provision of childcare, eldercare, disability support services, and animal care facilities as accessible, high-quality public services that are free or publicly subsidized and recognized as fundamental rights rather than luxuries.
2. Economic Justice and Tax Ethics
We believe that sustainable care systems require economic justice.
Progressive Taxation and Resource Mobilization:
To finance public care infrastructure, we support progressive and redistributive tax systems and measures to prevent tax avoidance, tax havens, and illicit financial flows.
Corporate Responsibility:
We advocate for large corporations and multinational organizations to fulfill their obligations regarding corporate taxation and social security contributions.
3. Recognition of the Care Economy
Valuing Invisible Labour:
We advocate for unpaid care work to be formally recognized as work, for time spent providing care to count toward pension systems, and for care contributions to be reflected in national accounting frameworks.
Fair Compensation for Care Work:
We oppose precarious working conditions for paid care workers in both formal and informal sectors. We support policies that ensure childcare workers, personal assistants, home care workers, and other caregivers receive fair wages and adequate social protections that reflect the essential value of their work.
4. Social Transformation and Equality
Decoupling Care from Gender:
We support national policies and cultural initiatives that encourage fathers and men to participate actively in caregiving and promote understandings of masculinity that include care as a valued social role.
Relational Health Systems:
We advocate for health systems that focus not only on patients but also on the broader networks of people who care for them, including family members, friends, and neighbors. We support approaches that place relationships and interdependence at the center of care.
5. Business and Supply Chains
Supplier Standards:
We encourage suppliers and partners to provide fair care conditions for their own workers and prioritize collaboration with organizations that demonstrate care-supportive policies.
Representation and Communications:
In our communications, we avoid reinforcing stereotypes that associate care exclusively with women. We strive for inclusive representation, portraying men as caregivers and women as decision-makers, while recognizing the diversity of care experiences.
7. Accountability and Monitoring
İhtimam is committed to regularly reviewing the implementation of the commitments outlined in this policy. We conduct periodic assessments to understand the care and wellbeing needs of employees and use the findings to develop and strengthen organizational practices.
The Care Committee conducts a qualitative review of the implementation of these policies at least once a year. Lessons learned are shared internally, and policies are revised where necessary.
8. Feedback and Solidarity
This document represents İhtimam’s aspirational vision. It is not a static policy, but a living document that evolves through learning, reflection, mistakes, and feedback.
We welcome suggestions, critiques, and conversations about areas where we can improve or strengthen our commitments.
Contact Us: info@ihtimam.org