If it feels like parental benefits have become the great HR issue of our time, there’s a good reason for this.
Parenting while working is a feat that often stretches employees to their limits, especially if they’re doing it on their own or with a partner who also has a career. And for the first time ever, companies are being run by people from a generation that broadly understands this, even if many leaders haven’t personally experienced the pressure themselves.
More companies are offering at least 12 weeks paid leave for new mothers, a paid-leave policy for new fathers, and a room where nursing moms can pump in private. Some even have an option to come back from parental leave on a reduced schedule that gradually increases, or help cover the cost of fertility treatments, adoption, or even a child’s college tuition.
