After Netflix, Microsoft revises policy to increase paid leave for new parents

San Francisco: US video streaming giant Netflix is offering up to one year of paid parental leave to both male and female employees after the birth of a child.

Netflix’s chief talent officer, Tawni Cranz, announced the decision in a blog post. “We’ll just keep paying them normally”, Cranz said. This is all on top of the unlimited vacation days all employees get.

“Netflix’s continued success hinges on us competing for and keeping the most talented individuals in their field. Each employee gets to figure out what’s best for them and their family, and then works with their managers for coverage during their absences”.

But Sladek, the Aon Hewitt partner, said more US companies have been asking her about paid leave and whether their competitors are offering it, so there is interest. Employees will be allowed to return and leave again if necessary and continue to earn their normal pay throughout.

The costs of the global expansion have been holding down Netflix’s profits, but investors haven’t minded because the company has been quickly winning over new customers.

Parents can also decide whether to use their leave all at once, or split it into two periods. After it bumped its maternity leave from 12 weeks to 18 weeks, Google said new mothers were leaving the company at half the rate they did previously. Shares in the company rose to a new high Tuesday, at $122.79, according to the New York Times.

Only four states-California, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island-currently have paid maternity leave that is publicly funded.

Obviously that mentality has changed a lot over the past 70 years, but many parents still go unpaid during baby’s first months. It should be commended for taking these steps.

The U.S. Family and Medical Leave Act entitles employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off a year in the event of a birth, adoption or the arrival of a foster child.

While Netflix is the clear frontrunner, other companies also have favorable policies.

While Netflix has received a significant amount of praise for its announcement; there have been a few rumblings online about the realities of an “unlimited” scheme. “There are all sorts of stereotypes about new moms” behavior like “mommy brain’ that wind up having a negative impact on wages”, she says. Netflix’s policy addresses this head on. Men who take leave fight gender stereotypes and take a more active role in their children’s lives as time moves on, she says.