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Yup! It's great!

Microsoft just announced 20 weeks paid for Mat leave and 12 weeks for pat leave.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/08/05/microsoft-updates-parental-leave-policy/31164949/

It's a great step in the right direction.

it made me want to figure out what i can do at netflix!

Nice!!

@babypugs: Seriously. I've been on the fence about getting Netflix. This might be just the thing to convince me!

Aside from the fact that I keep seeing this called "unlimited leave", when its one year, I think this is so awesome. It seems like maybe more companies are going to start realizing this is a smart this to do for everyone. And the fact that they recognize that maybe dads want to spend time with their babies too is a little extra awesome.

A year at full pay. Amazing!

Amazing!!!!!!

Amazing! Now if only other US companies would follow suit...

This is so great!

I think it is just a publicity stunt. Netflix is a competitive work environment with incredibly high turnover. They already have unlimited vacation that goes unused.

Unlimited doesn't mean your boss isn't judging you. Reading below, from Netflix, it mainly sounds like they're just going to be flexible for a year. I'd much prefer 6 months of leave to one year of 'make up your own mind and do what's best and wonder how it will impact your career.'

"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."

@Corduroy: good points, thanks for the info!

I think this is amazing!!!

@Corduroy: @honeybear: I think as time changes and the culture of the company changes, more and more families will feel empowered and able to take more and more time off after the birth or adoption of a child. And as those employees become managers themselves, they'll feel more empowered to encourage their employees to do the same! The more people use it, the more comfortable others will feel about using it.

@Corduroy: this part "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." could be career suicide and/ or lead to more people leaving.

For Netflix to do this they need a budget to hire temporary employees. Squeezing out more production from coworkers to cover the person out of the office on extended leave is a huge ask and very stressful.

@Honeybear: I agree with you about the monkey see, monkey do or follow the leader that goes on in the workplace.

@Adira: But the only way that works is if the people at the top are the ones to model the behavior. If the current management team doesn't take the time, their direct reports aren't going to do it, and so on down the line.

I can't read the full article on WSJ, but I'll read more.

@looch: I think some managers will encourage their employees to take time off. And then as those same employees become managers, they will be more likely to encourage their employees, and so on until the culture has completely changed. At least, that's my hope!

My boss didn't take 12 weeks off for the births of his kids and he often doesn't stay home with them when they are sick because his wife does it, but he's ALWAYS been encouraging to me to take as much time as I need to and to make my kids and my home my priority. Even though I've never seen him do this, I feel very supported in my choice to do it and I don't feel like it negatively impacts me to make my kids my priority. And you can be sure that if I ever become a manager, I will ensure my employees feel the same support from me. I'm sure the culture was different when my boss was my age, but now there's no doubt about how much time mothers will take off when they have kids.

I imagine at Netflix, some managers will embrace this new policy and make their employees feel supported and encouraged to take time that's needed. And some won't. But as time goes on and they see that they are retaining more women and mothers, I'm hopeful that the culture at Netflix will change where taking off time is both encouraged and expected.

@honeybear: Thanks, I had no idea!

So I read the article. I am a realist, I think policies like this are good in the abstract, but no manager wants to be the first one to have to navigate the waters when an employee announces they are going to take a year leave. They panic, they try to balance the workload on the backs of other employees to make it look like their team isn't affected, the employees that are picking up the slack complain because they're not getting any benefit out of the arrangement, etc etc. I see it time and time again with short leaves.

I much prefer a policy where you, as a worker, pay into your leave.

This is interesting....but you know what? Once a few people do it...others will follow. My old firm had a policy that was 2 months paid, up to 6 months total unpaid (though you could tack on vacation time). And every woman used it. So, maybe it will work more than we think.

I don’t think you can take a year off from any job in the US without there being repercussions no matter the industry or company policy – but that doesn’t invalidate companies offering more generous leave terms like these, or make it a publicity stunt. *This* is what prompts change – when big companies start to offer extended paid leave, more will have to follow suit to snap up the best talent and to keep up the same benefits offering package. And the more companies offering generous paid leave, the more people will be able to move towards taking more time without there being issues. It won’t be an overnight change, but it’s a move in the right direction towards changing the “standard” for leave after having/adopting a baby.

You want change? This is the agent of change, even if people don't suddenly start taking full advantage (which, I agree with other, won't happen)

Unlimited vacation / sick time / PTO is not a new concept, at least in my industry, and is never, ever actually taken advantage of. I prefer having a set amount of vacation and taking every minute possible, especially as a working parent, because I'm out so frequently as it is when my kids are sick and when I'm sick. I actually try to stay away from companies that offer unlimited sick time-- you take one day and people wonder immediately if you are abusing it / will start to abuse it. The optimist in me wants to say, hey, steps in the right direction-- but the realist in me says no way. Not until there's a policy change for parental leave for the country as a whole.

I prefer mandatory paid leave for all employees. I don't think "unlimited" leave is best for the employees - I think it leads to resentment. I also don't think it should be the responsibility of the company to cover maternity leave - I think it should be something the government invests in.

I'm very conflicted on maternity leave in the US in general. I wish it was set up more like Canada where it is practical for the companies and the women/parents involved. There is a structure in place in their economy regarding temporary positions. I don't know a ton of working women who have gone on maternity leave in the US, but in every situation a temporary worker was not hired and the work was simply spread around.