Netflix is making headlines this week following an announcement that the company would offer immediate and unlimited maternity and paternity leave — fully compensated.
Tawni Cranz, the company's Chief Talent Officer, wrote in a blog post on Tuesday, August 4 that the company would be expanding on its culture of “freedom and responsibility,” which currently boasts an unlimited vacation policy for its employees. Cranz wrote:
“We want employees to have the flexibility and confidence to balance the needs of their growing families without worrying about work or finances. Parents can return part-time, full-time, or return and then go back out as needed. We’ll just keep paying them normally, eliminating the headache of switching to state or disability pay. 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.”
Newsweek reports that Microsoft quickly followed suit, posting an announcement of its changes a mere 24 hours after the update from Netflix. In a blog post from its Executive Vice President of Human Resources, Kathleen Hogan, the company stated that it would be bumping up its “Parental Leave” policy from 8 weeks to 12 weeks beginning November 1, 2015. They added:
“Additionally, we’ll offer birth mothers an expanded opportunity to use Short-Term Disability Leave during the two weeks prior to their scheduled due date to manage the physical impact that often comes with late pregnancy and to prepare for the upcoming birth.”
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