Dive Brief:
- More than a third of employers offer paid parental leave, a WorldatWork report shows. Survey of Paid Parental Leave in the United States found that employers offered the benefit despite the absence of a federal mandate.
- Most of the employers offering paid parental leave (78%) make it available to all workers. And nearly half make employees eligible on the day they’re hired.
- More than half of employers (53%) mandate that workers take paid parental leave in the first year of parenthood.
Dive Insight:
As the report acknowledges, employee requests, public awareness and competition for talent have prompted many employers to offer paid parental leave.
Notably, more employers are allowing for a distinction between paid parental leave and other forms of leave, including family leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, shirt-term disability and paid time off. Parental leave is reserved for parents who are recovering from childbirth or who are adopting, bonding with or taking care of a child.
Employers that offer paid leave of any kind without being mandated to do so are responding to today’s workers’ needs for flexible work schedules and an increased call for diversity. Parental leave helps employees of all backgrounds, but it is especially important for keeping women in the workplace.
