8 employers that boosted paternity leave

Published June 14, 2019 2:09 PM EDT Updated June 17, 2019 4:55 PM EDT 1 Min Read

Efforts are growing to help new parents in the workplace — but it’s not just mothers who are getting help from employers. More companies are boosting their parental leave policies for both new moms and new dads.

The percentage of paid maternity leave increased to 36% in 2018 from 26% in 2016, according to data from the Society for Human Resource Management. Paid paternity leave increased to 29% from 21% over the same period. Still, gender-neutral paid leave policies aren’t as common. SHRM indicates that 40 was the average number of days employers offered for maternity leave in 2016. For paternity leave, the average fell around 20 days.

The tobacco giant added a 16-week paid parental leave benefit at this beginning of the year — with an additional period of flexible scheduling in the following eight months — for new mothers and fathers following the birth or placement of a new child. The benefit applies to all 5,000 full-time paid hourly and salaried workers, the Camel and Newport cigarette maker says. It’s a big change, especially for dads: Prior to updating its policy, Reynolds American offered 16 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. In addition to the 80 days of paid leave, parents also are eligible for up to 64 additional days over eight months through a flexible work arrangement.

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