Netflix Announces up to One Year of Maternity and Paternity Leave
File under: Sweden, here we come!
Netflix announced this afternoon that they will soon be offering one year of maternity and paternity leave for all employees. The move comes as talent costs a premium now, and retaining the best people can be extremely difficult for even the most prestigious tech companies. Adding uncommon benefits has recently proven to be a successful tactic in making sure that employees don’t feel their only reward for working at a company is a paycheck. But things like free lunch and the occasional back massage aren’t really cutting it anymore, and Netflix has put their money where their mouth is in a big way.
We want employees to have the flexibility and confidence to balance the needs of their growing families without worrying about work or finances. 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.
We certainly applaud Netflix’s bold move here and hope it encourages other similar behavior in the tech industry.