French startup Lokki, a platform for rental companies, has introduced a dedicated paid leave policy for abortions. It offers employees two days of paid time off with complete discretion over what they choose to disclose. The policy, announced by co-founder Benoit Prigent, emerged from a personal conversation with a friend who felt compelled to use vacation days and hide her experience from colleagues during an already difficult time.
The initiative reflects a shift toward radical empathy in the workplace. Rather than forcing workers to navigate an abortion through generic sick leave or vacation policies, Lokki has created a specific framework that acknowledges people will sometimes need to terminate a pregnancy. While it's entirely up to the employee whether or not to share the reason for their two days leave, Prigent hopes the policy will lead to normalization and more open conversations, to "empathy without shame or guilt."
TREND BITE
Traditional boundaries between personal and professional life are being redrawn, particularly among younger generations who expect employers to acknowledge life's complexities rather than pretend they don't exist. As employees increasingly expect psychological safety and authentic care from employers, organizations that acknowledge the full spectrum of human experience can gain a competitive advantage in talent acquisition and retention.
The question for other companies becomes: which of your existing policies unintentionally force workers to hide real life behind euphemisms and workarounds?