Spotify, the very trendy music streaming service, just announced that they will introduce offer six months of parental leave – with 100% pay – to all full-time employees globally, effective immediately.

 

At the press conference where they announced it Daniel Ek, founder of Spotify, said: “I think we can be a role model.”

Hell, yes that you can.

Other trendy companies are on the same bandwagon.

Facebook has announced that they will offer “US employees up to 4 months of paid maternity or paternity leave which they can take throughout the year.” (That in a country that has zero (0!)

Netflix a few weeks ago came out and said that have introduced a  trailblazing unlimited paid leave policy for new moms and dads, inviting them to take off “as much time as they want”.”

The post on their own website read:

At Netflix, we work hard to foster a “freedom and responsibility” culture that gives our employees context about our business and the freedom to make their own decisions along with the accompanying responsibility. With this in mind, today we’re introducing an unlimited leave policy for new moms and dads that allows them to take off as much time as they want during the first year after a child’s birth or adoption.

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.

Netflix’s continued success hinges on us competing for and keeping the most talented individuals in their field. Experience shows people perform better at work when they’re not worrying about home. This new policy, combined with our unlimited time off, allows employees to be supported during the changes in their lives and return to work more focused and dedicated.

(It is such an awesome post I am quoting it in its entirety…)

Summary: It is almost as if – suddenly – all the trendiest of trendy companies have realised that the trendiest thing that they can do is to boost up the ability for parents to spend time with their kids.

If your company is not doing the same, then inform them about this post.

Tell them what other companies are doing.

And get them to change too.

And if they do not, go work for someone else who understands where the trend is heading.

It’s time to get with the times. And these times are calling for dads to go on paternity leave.

 

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