Kennecott Utah Copper employees who are the primary caregiver of a newborn or adopted baby will get 18 weeks of paid parental leave, under a new worldwide policy of Rio Tinto, the mining and metals conglomerate that includes Kennecott.

The new extended leave, which is offered to both men and women, was announced Thursday at a town hall for Kennecott employees at the Bingham Canyon Mine and in the company’s smelter operations. The company will give secondary caregivers one week of paid leave in the first year after a birth or adoption.

Kennecott has 2,220 employees in Utah who could take advantage of the two options, said company spokesman Kyle Bennett.

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