Rick Ridgeway, VP of Public Engagement for Patagonia interview with Matt Bird at Humanity 2.0 (Vatican City)

HIGHLIGHTS

• Patagonia breaks down the barrier between personal life and work life
• Patagnoia provides most developed child care center provided by any company in the world
• Patagonia has a 98% return rate after a maternity/paternity leave

(ESG News) – At most companies, roughly one-third of new moms don’t return after the birth of their baby, said Rick Ridgeway, VP of Public Engagement for Patagonia. At Patagonia, 98% of moms come back after having their baby, Ridgeway told Matt Bird, Host of the Traders Network Show, at the 2019 Humanity 2.0 Forum at the Vatican in Italy. 

Ridgeway said that Patagonia believes that policies benefitting families is good for business, in large part because it has such a big impact on employee retention. That’s why Patagonia offers 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, 12 weeks of paid paternity leave and offers subsidies for its on-side childcare center, Ridgeway said. Patagonia even pays for caregivers to accompany new parents who have to travel for work.

Such policies support the company’s larger mission to have a positive impact.   

“What we want to do is use our business as a tool and agent for environmental protection and social justice. That is why we are in business,” he said.

Patagonia believes climate change is the biggest challenge facing the world, Ridgeway said.