S4 Ep5 - Paternity Leave That Works: How Lewis Silkin Achieved 100% Take-Up with Jo Farmer, Joint...

Send us Fan Mail (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2489643/fa...) What if one of the most powerful ways to advance women at work is to give men more time away from it? Jo Farmer is Joint Managing Partner of international law firm Lewis Silkin—and the first woman to hold the role. In this deeply human and practical conversation, Jo shares how the firm introduced six months’ paid parental leave for everyone and achieved an extraordinary result: 100% of eligible men have taken it. But this isn’t simply a conversation about policy. Jo explains why giving fathers meaningful time to care can begin to dismantle the assumptions holding women back, from the mental load and gender pay gap to unequal career progression. She also reveals what Lewis Silkin did to ensure its policy felt genuinely safe to use—including supporting senior men to take leave and promoting one colleague to partner while he was away. We also explore Jo’s remarkable personal journey: born to a 17-year-old mother, raised in a working-class family in Darlington and becoming the first person in her family to attend university before progressing to the top of her profession. Jo talks candidly about learning to fit in, navigating the unwritten rules of unfamiliar environments and why we should never mistake someone else’s polish for greater potential. This is an inspiring conversation about social mobility, gender equity and what becomes possible when leaders use their influence to leave their organisation—and their profession—better than they found it. In this episode: • Why paternity leave is fundamental to gender equity • How Lewis Silkin achieved 100% take-up among eligible men • Why policy alone cannot create cultural change • The commercial impact of care, including retention, recruitment and performance • Jo’s journey from a financially precarious childhood to senior leadership • Why curiosity and tenacity can matter more than polish • What leaders can do to widen opportunity for others This is the final episode in our CARE mini-series, exploring what’s really getting in the way of people thriving at work. To connect with Jo Farmer on LinkedIn -   / jo-farmer-3569b62   Or visit Lewis Silkin's website: https://www.lewissilkin.com/ 🔗 Connect with Mary: marygregory.com (https://marygregory.com) 📣 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marygregory (https://www.linkedin.com/in/marygrego...)  📸 Instagram:   / mary_gregory    📰 Newsletter: Subscribe on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/build-relati...  🎙 Want to be a guest? Get in touch!  ⭐ Subscribe, share & leave a review  ✨ Produced by Mary Gregory Leadership Coaching