Netflix announced a new policy for its employees on Tuesday: unlimited leave for new moms and dads during the first year of a child’s life.
Balance the needs of family without worrying about work or finances
‘We want employees to have the flexibility and confidence to balance the needs of their growing families without worrying about work or finances,’ said Tawni Cranz, Netflix’s Chief Talent Officer in a statement released Tuesday. ‘Parents can return part-time, full-time, or return and then go back out as needed. We’ll just keep paying them normally, eliminating the headache of switching to state or disability pay. Each employee gets to figure out what’s best for them and their family, and then works with their managers for coverage during their absences.’
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The new policy isn’t surprising considering the company already offers employees unlimited time off — allowing workers to decide for themselves how much vacation time they take each year.
And while Netflix is the first to go as far as unlimited, providing generous maternity and paternity leave options isn’t a new concept in the tech industry. Google offers mothers five months off and fathers get at least three months. Facebook gives both moms and dads four months of paid leave, plus a generous benefits package.
Read more: This company offers a year’s paternity leave for dads
But for most of America’s workers, this type of deal is not an option, considering the U.S. has no paid leave policy. According to the Department of Labor, only 12% of Americans working in the private sector have access to paid parental leave.
