Everyone’s favourite Saturday night date venue just announced a monumental parental leave policy: Netflix employees will be able to take off as much (paid) time as they want during the first year after their child’s birth or adoption.
To understand why this is such a game-changer in America, we’ll let the always on-point John Oliver explain:
Employees can be flexible in terms of their availability during those 12 months, which means they can return on a part- or full-time basis should they feel fit to work. This is especially rational since the challenges of raising a child are often sporadic during the entire first year.
“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,” explained Netflix in a statement. “Experience shows people perform better at work when they’re not worrying about home.”
Similar policies introduced by Facebook, Google and Yahoo have been key in retaining talented employees who’ve decided to balance their career with starting a family.
New parents in Canada, meanwhile, are eligible to receive compensation for a maximum of 35 weeks, though all money earned while working during leave will be deducted from your EI maternity benefits. Though that’s not quite as generous as Netflix’s new policy, it’s still an incredible privilege compared to the norm – 12 weeks – South of the Border.
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