Raising the Industry Standard on Parental Leave

The U.S. is the only industrialized country in the world with no required parental leave. In the private sector, only 12% of U.S. employees get some form of paid family leave through their employer. This is a contributing factor to many issues, from the gender pay gap and fair distribution of parenting duties to the health and wellness of mothers and children.

Work & Co has joined a coalition of creative firms that are promising to improve parental leave benefits for employees in the U.S.

Pledge Parental Leave is raising standards in the creative industry, with all companies pledging to offer, at a minimum:

• Fully paid leave for primary caregiver for three months.
• Uninterrupted health insurance for three months.
• Guarantee that positions are held open for six months.
• Commitment to publishing their benefits publicly online.

Work & Co is committing to going above and beyond these standards by offering 18 weeks of paid leave to primary caregivers. Founding Partner Gene Liebel said: “We find that the most talented people — exactly the people we love to work with ­— have passions and lives outside of work. Our policies aspire to avoid forcing people from having to make excessive personal sacrifices in the name of professional fulfillment. Providing support for family leave is obviously a big piece of that.”

New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio, lauded the initiative, saying: “Leadership from businesses like those in the Pledge Parental Leave coalition is vital – and we need others to quickly follow suit.”

To learn more, visit pledgepl.org.