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Employee benefits

11 companies with the best parental leave policies

By Paola Peralta
March 23, 2022 3:04 PM
Google

Over the last few years, parental leave has become a critical part of every employees’ workplace wishlist, but while some companies are still struggling to meet demand, others have risen to the occasion.

While 40% of employers offer a standard 12 weeks of maternity leave, only 25% of women take nine weeks or longer — paid or unpaid, according to career insights platform Zippia. For many, a lack of paid maternity leave forces parents to take far less, even when they need it.

Read More: This fintech's paid-leave policy now includes 'me days' and time off for pregnancy loss

And in the worst case, some parents don’t take any time off at all. One third of new mothers take little to no time off after giving birth to or adopting their new child, according to Zippia. For new fathers, the average length of paternity leave is approximately one week in the U.S. — when it’s offered at all.

“As a new parent, taking a break from work to support your family is an absolute necessity, especially during such a big life transition,” says Kris Osborne, vice president of talent at financial insights company FinanceBuzz. “It allows you to destress from work, allows your significant other to take a much-needed break and allows you to bond with your little one.”

FinanceBuzz analyzed parental leave across industries to round up the companies with the most comprehensive policies:

DocuSign

The digital signature and online documents company provides at least six months of paid leave for new parents, FinanceBuzz found. They also offer Employee Resources Groups for parents, and some roles allow for employees to work from home or within a flexible schedule.

Read more: This CEO makes the financial case for a paid family leave program

Google

In 2021, the tech company increased its paid family leave to 18 to 24 weeks off, depending on their circumstances, to care for a new addition to their family. Google also increased vacation time for all employees.

Netflix

The streaming service allows parents to take four to eight months of leave, along with a suite of “family forming” benefits to help potential parents with fertility, surrogacy and adoption.

Etsy

The e-commerce site gives their employees 26 weeks of paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child, according to FinanceBuzz. The policy also offers flexibility if they don’t want to take it immediately — parents can use that time as needed over the course of two years to care for an addition to their family.

Read more: Why Maven requires workers to take parental leave

Twitter

The social media platform gives their employees 20 weeks of paid parental leave. The company also offers quarterly roundtables for parents-to-be and those who are on leave caring for their newborns, as well as mentor programs for new parents.

American Express

The credit card company offers salaried employees 20 weeks of paid parental leave for birth, adoption or surrogacy, with additional time off if it’s medically necessary. Employees may also be granted up to 20 days of back-up child care for each child of an employee, on an as-needed basis. The company also offers programs specifically for expecting parents, like health care resources and support.

Square

Square gives 16 weeks of paid time off to parents of newborns, as well as adopted or fostered children, and they can spread that time out instead of taking it all at once. The tech company also has a generous vacation policy, allowing employees to take extra time off to spend with family as needed.

Read more: The 10 workplace policies job seekers are demanding

Pinterest

Pinterest’s parental leave policy includes additional weeks off for parents who may have to care for a child in a neonatal intensive care unit. Parents are given a minimum of 20 weeks, with additional weeks given based on circumstances. Adoptive parents can qualify for up to $10,000 in monetary assistance and the company also provides support for IVF and egg freezing procedures.

Snapchat

The company provides 20 weeks off with full pay for the birthing parent employee, and up to eight weeks of fully paid leave to an employee whose partner has given birth. Benefits are also extended for adoption, surrogacy or fertility treatments. Snapchat also provides back-up child care coverage for parents who may find themselves in a bind.

Microsoft

Microsoft’s parental leave policy includes 20 weeks of paid time off for the birthing parent. In families that are adopting or fostering, 12 weeks are offered. The company also provides assistance with adoption, child care and back-up care. Down the line, Microsoft helps employees work through the financial process of higher education for their children.

Read more: Excellence in HR and culture: This Microsoft exec supports employees — at work and beyond

Adobe

At Adobe, primary caregivers receive 16 weeks off, with an additional 10 weeks depending on certain criteria. The company allows for up to 12 weeks of PTO to care for an immediate family member due to a health condition. And upon employees’ return, Adobe has a Welcome Back program to ease workers back in after an extended leave.
Paola Peralta
Associate Editor, Employee Benefit News
Employee benefits Recruiting
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