Over the last few years, parental leave has become a critical part of every employees’ workplace wishlist, but while some companies are still struggling to meet demand, others have risen to the occasion.
While 40% of employers offer a standard 12 weeks of maternity leave, only 25% of women take nine weeks or longer — paid or unpaid, according to career insights platform Zippia. For many, a lack of paid maternity leave forces parents to take far less, even when they need it.
Read More: This fintech's paid-leave policy now includes 'me days' and time off for pregnancy loss
And in the worst case, some parents don’t take any time off at all. One third of new mothers take little to no time off after giving birth to or adopting their new child, according to Zippia. For new fathers, the average length of paternity leave is approximately one week in the U.S. — when it’s offered at all.
“As a new parent, taking a break from work to support your family is an absolute necessity, especially during such a big life transition,” says Kris Osborne, vice president of talent at financial insights company FinanceBuzz. “It allows you to destress from work, allows your significant other to take a much-needed break and allows you to bond with your little one.”
FinanceBuzz analyzed parental leave across industries to round up the companies with the most comprehensive policies: