Facebook recently updated its global parental paternity leave to four months for all parents. What's even more interesting about this is that all new fathers will be able to take advantage of this new policy.
The move was announced by Lori Goler, head of HR and Recruiting at Facebook. The decision came less than a week after Mark Zuckerberg announced that he'll be taking a two-month leave to spend time with his newborn child.
Zuckerberg stated that his move is a personal decision, but it has no doubt benefitted all employees working at the company, especially the male ones.
Prior to this new announcement, it was only possible for Facebook employees in the United States to take four-month increased paid leave. Goler says the new reform will affect all 11,000 employees around the world, and it will include new fathers, mothers, and same-sex couples.
Facebook wants to become the top business for families, and it doesn't matter how they are defined.
"According to Pew Research, almost half of fathers are worried that they don't spend enough time with their children," says Goler. "Starting on January 1, 2016, all new dads and same-sex partners at Facebook will receive four months of paid leave to bond with a new baby, whether they are the primary caregiver or not."
Increased parental leave has become one of the top focus of big companies that are seeking to recruit and retain talent. This is more so in the technology sector due to the high level of competition among companies.
What Facebook is doing could force other big companies to do the same, forever changing the work environment for all families. Goler believes it is the right thing to do for employees and their families.
Earlier this year, Spotify made a big announcement that new mothers and fathers can take 6 months paid leave. Furthermore, Netflix also announced unlimited paid time off until the first birthday of the child. More good news are expected on this front, as other companies will likely follow suit.
