What Netflix, Amazon, and KKR Tell Us About the Dismal State of Family Leave

[marmar]

(Bloomberg) In what appears to be an escalating benefits arms-race, a handful of companies have rushed to announce more generous family-leave policies for their employees in recent days. It's a response, in part, to a combination of public shaming and hiring pressure. The shame comes from the fact that the U.S. is last in the developed world in paid family leave available to new mothers and fathers. The pressure comes particularly from female workers, who tend to quit in alarming numbers once they become mothers and find that Corporate America's intractable culture to be untenable. Working fathers also want greater flexibility so they can be involved with their families.

Some companies that have taken steps to modernize their policies to reflect the way the workplace actually is, rather than how it used to be, should be commended. But a handful of improvements at individual companies only points at a larger problem: The ability to be both a parent and an employee is largely dependent on the benevolence of whichever private corporation one happens to work for. Until that patchwork approach to the problem changes, working parents at all levels of the economic spectrum will continue to be in a bind. The persistent lack of women at the upper levels of the business world won't get much better, either.

Netflix made the most groundbreaking move, announcing on Aug. 4 that it would offer unlimited leave to most employees during the first year after the birth or adoption of a child, at full pay, followed by flexible options once they return to work. Microsoft chimed in the next day, increasing paid time off for new parents to 12 weeks, from eight. Not to be outdone, the software company Adobe said it was more than doubling the paid time off it offers new mothers—to 26 weeks, from 12. ...............(more)

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-19/what-netflix-amazon-and-kkr-tell-us-about-the-dismal-state-of-family-leave

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Netflix is full of shit...

It did institute the policy, but fat chance anyone is going to take advantage of it. They have an "up or out" culture where everyone must show regular performance improvement. What new mother will take the time off when she knows that when she gets back to work she'll be stuck at the bottom of the food chain? Better to quit and look for another job when she's ready.

Besides, it's only for the office. The poor slobs in the warehouses and contract workers don't get the deal.

The article is right-- nothing will really change without national legislation. Just like every other civilized country has done.