While 64% of Americans believe it is necessary for employers to provide at least 12 weeks of paid parental leave to both primary and secondary caregiving workers to promote workplace gender equity, only about 1 in 10 companies has such a policy, according to a report released Thursday by research nonprofit JUST Capital.
JUST Capital looked at the Russell 1000 companies for its analysis. It found that while most (60%) disclosed a paid parental leave policy as of September 2022, only around 40% disclosed the specific number of weeks offered to primary and secondary caregivers. Those making disclosures in each category increased from the year prior, however.
JUST Capital also broke out their analysis by industry, finding that the five highest disclosure rates came from oil and gas, internet, transaction processing, banks and clothing and accessories. The lowest disclosure rates came from the commercial vehicles and machinery and transportation industries.
The internet and software industries had the highest number of weeks’ paid parental leave, with the internet industry averaging 18 weeks for primary caregivers and 17 weeks for secondary caregivers, and the software industry averaging 16 and 12 weeks, respectively. Transportation and healthcare rounded out the bottom of the list, offering on average six and four weeks and four and four weeks, respectively.
In addition to its broader industry analysis, JUST Capital highlighted six companies with a “leading practice” of offering 24 weeks of paid leave or more for both primary and secondary caregivers: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co., S&P Global Inc., Snowflake, Dropbox, Lululemon and Zoom.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co. ranked highest on JUST Capital’s list, with 26 weeks of paid leave for primary and secondary caregivers and a policy of parental transition support programs, through which new parents can work part-time for up to 36 months to ease back into work. The research nonprofit also noted Lululemon, the only retailer to make the list, stands out in its industry by offering six months of leave to global employees at all levels.
Correction: A previous version of this article identified an incorrect company as one of the six leaders selected by JUST Capital. The selected company is Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.
