Facebook increases parental leave

Facebook's head of human resources, Lori Matloff Goler, said employees will be allowed to take the paid leave at any point up to a year after the birth or adoption of their child.

"In reviewing our parental leave policies, we have decided to make this change because it's the right thing to do for our people and their families," Goler said in a post on her Facebook page this week.

"We want to be there for our people at all stages of life, and, in particular, we strive to be a leading place to work for families," she added.

The change in policy will put the firm's paternity leave outside the United States on par with maternity leave at Facebook workplaces around the world, and also extends the benefit to same-sex couples.

'Better outcomes'

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said last week that he would be taking two months paternity leave following the upcoming birth of his daughter. He and his wife, Priscilla Chan, announced in July that they were expecting their first child.

"Studies show that when working parents take time to be with their newborns, outcomes are better for the children and families," Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page.

Facebook isn't the first Internet giant to increase parental leave, however. Music streaming service Spotify announced just last week that all its full-time employees will now be entitled to up to six months leave, at full pay, during the first three years after having children.

All new parents in Germany are entitled to two-thirds of their pay for 12 months, which can be extended to 14 months if both parents take at least two months leave.

ksb/sms (Reuters, AFP)