Netflix is letting new parents on its payroll to take up to a year’s paid leave in a move that could pressure other technology employers to improve their baby benefits as they vie for talent.
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The online streaming company announced Tuesday that new parents would be able to return part-time, full-time or somewhere in between for the first year, while being paid normally. They are now eligible for six weeks paid time off.
The new maternity and paternity policy is a far 3 AM cry from what most U.S. corporations offer to new moms and dads. How secure will their jobs be while they’re away? Longer maternity leaves can help companies retain female employees.
Employees will be able to return part time or full time during that first year, and are able to leave again if necessary.
“At Netflix, we work hard to foster a “freedom and responsibility” culture that gives our employees context about our business and the freedom to make their own decisions along with the accompanying responsibility”, she wrote.
She said employees should be given the flexibility and confidence to balance the needs of their growing families without worrying about work or finances.
The company’s chief talent officer Tawni Cranz said the continued success of the firm hinges on them competing for, while keeping the most skilled individuals within their respective fields.
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Not only that, but employees who need time off to take care of their families will be paid as they would be if they were in-office. The company already offers employees unlimited vacation time, subject to negotiation with their managers, a policy that has been copied by the likes of Richard Branson at Virgin, and one that has experts divided.
