Microsoft follows Netflix's lead and extends its parental leave
Longboard Asset Management
"These changes are in direct support of the culture we aspire to have - one that allows people to build meaningful careers," writes Microsoft Executive VP Kathleen Hogan in a blog post announcing the changes.
Previously, Microsoft offered eight weeks of fully-paid maternity leave for new mothers, along with a 12 week paternity leave program (four paid, eight unpaid) for both moms and dads.
But come November 1st, when this new Microsoft policy goes into effect, that'll get expanded to 12 weeks of fully-paid leave, on top of that eight weeks for moms, meaning that a birth mother gets 20 weeks of fully-paid maternity leave.
Plus, if the birth mother chooses, they have the option of going on short-term disability for the two weeks before their due date. And as an added bonus, Microsoft employees will be able to take that 12-week parental leave either all at once or in spurts. New parents can also "phase back into work on a half-time basis," Hogan writes.
Finally, Microsoft is also announcing that come 2016, employees will also get Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Presidents Day as paid holidays for the first time ever. And Microsoft is also expanding its 401(k) plan coverage to match contributions up to $9,000.
Judging from Twitter, Microsoft employees are pretty happy with the changes:
Two new holidays, increased parental leave, and a 50% increase in 401k match limit? Exciting benefits improvements! http://t.co/HjEn6EDrtI
Awesome new employee benefits, more paid holidays better 401k matching and much better parental leave ! a better place to work #Microsoft
It's not quite the unlimited plan that Netflix is offering to new parents, but it very much speaks to the growing sentiment amongst the tech sector that the quality of their employees' lives are an important factor for success in business.
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