PTO

Coronavirus is adding new complications for an already stretched-thin demographic as parents are scrambling to find childcare or figuring out how to be productive at home with kids around.

Darden Restaurants had been working on this policy for some time, but rolled it out faster due to concerns over COVID-19.

The coronavirus outbreak has thrust corporate policies on paid leave and workplace practices into sharp focus, especially for the retail and restaurant industries.

The restaurant chain is rolling out new benefits for corporate employees and may consider extending them to food service staff.

“Given the demographic trends we are seeing, today’s workforce will continue to face the challenges of caregiving,” says Scott White, vice president of global people operations and rewards at Levi Strauss.

Parents will now be entitled to a total of 16 weeks of time off.

The total amount of families’ daily allowance days would increase from 11.5 months to more than 14 months, with both parents receiving an equal quota of 164 days.

“When it comes to leave, there is still an opportunity to meet the specific needs of your population,” says LuAnn Heinen, vice president at Business Group on Health.

The company also expanded benefits to include a variety of family planning options, from fertility treatments to adoption and surrogacy.

Careers with a high number of men, like finance and technology, are much more likely to get paid time off to care for newborns than those in other female-populated industries, like healthcare and retail.