Fidelity International, the fund manager, has become the latest financial-services firm to introduce a new policy of equal parental leave — meaning men and women are entitled to the same amount of time off after becoming parents.

In a 23 June announcement, Fidelity said its new policy will mean that “fathers and secondary carers will now be able to take the same amount of paid leave as mothers and primary carers within each of their 27 operating locations”.