Paid parental leave – what’s not to like?
A day later Microsoft unveiled its own new policy.
Netflix is offering its employees unlimited paid time off in the first year of the birth or adoption of a child.
Netflix should be commended for its ample policy. Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) is another company that offers plenty of paid leave, as much as 20 weeks of time for birth mothers. Our employees are our intellectual property and our future.
It’s not completely fair to blame corporations for sounding corporate.
Benefits experts say a combination of factors often prompt companies to offer a benefit that generous.
The changes created by these tech companies are viewed as an influential move in providing benefits to employees.
These changes are encouraging, but far too many employers have yet to realize that employees need policies that provide more time and financial support to balance their responsibilities as parents and workers. On the “21 Employee Perks that Attract the Best Talent” list, it’s even listed between “free on-site spa service” and “drink fridge”. The Huffington Post reports that employees in the DVD division aren’t covered by the new policy – employees who are not highly skilled, in-demand tech workers. This divide highlights how the new policy widens the gap between hotshot tech gurus and average workers. If not, you get what you deserve.
That said, Netflix is taking a significant step forward. Currently, employers subject to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) are only required to provide new parents with up to 12-weeks of unpaid leave.
Adobe is also introducing up to 10 weeks of paid leave for surgery, childbirth, a medical emergency or illness, and it is giving employees up to four weeks of paid leave to care for a sick family member.
On the other hand, Susan Wojcicki, YouTube CEO, have long ago stated that expanded parental leave could have a positive impact on employees. Silicon Valley businesses tend to have the most progressive benefits, though some still favor mothers over fathers.
Despite the evidence that paid leave has benefits at all economic levels, it continues to be imbued with value by its ability to retain the best workers.
If Netflix’s policy is to be truly revolutionary, it won’t be because it bestows a premium perk upon a select few, but rather because it illuminates why a nationwide parental leave policy is needed – and deserved – by so many more.
The U.S. and Papua New Guinea are the only countries among 185 nations and territories that don’t have government-mandated laws requiring employers to pay mothers while on leave with their babies, according to a study released last year by the United Nations’ worldwide Labor Organization.