A survey conducted earlier this year by Harris Interactive and consulting firm EY shows a shift in the way many working dads balance parenthood. According to the results, of the more than 9,000 professionals surveyed, 67%Â of U.S. men compared to 57% of U.S. women said they have made or will be willing to make career adjustments to accommodate their family needs.
Recently, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that in addition to him and his wife donating 99% of their Facebook shares to charity, he will also take two months of paternity leave following the birth of their daughter.
Zuckerberg’s decision to balance new parenthood with extended time off mirrors the new policies many companies are putting in place to show just how much they care about the work-life balance of both their female and male employees. In fact, Facebook, which offers four months of paid paternity and maternity leave to their employees, has just expanded this policy to also include staff outside of the U.S. beginning Jan. 1, 2016.
“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,” said Lori Matloff Goler, the tech company’s head of human resources, in a Facebook post. “An important part of this is offering paid parental or ‘baby’ leave.”
In addition to offering paid leave, below are three other perks some employers are offering to provide a better work environment for new parents.
1. On-site daycare: Providing on-site childcare services can help to ease the anxiety of going back to work too soon for new parents. At Google, four childcare centers are located near its Mountain View, CA headquarters, and at Cisco Systems two centers are located near its headquarters in San Jose, CA. Parents at Cisco are also able to view their children from their work laptops through a digital monitoring system.
2. Flexible hours or telecommuting: Adjusting to parenthood can take a toll on your performance at work; thus, a flexible work schedule can be a benefit to both the employer and employee. In a Youtube video posted by OnlineMBA.com, some of the benefits of telecommuting are outlined, including increased productivity, reduced turnover, and a happier work environment.
3. Adoption assistance: Adopting a child is no small cost, and the price varies depending on whether an individual goes through the U.S. foster system or a private agency. To help employees cover some of the fees, accounting firm Deloitte reimburses its staff up to $5,000 per child. Meanwhile, WellStar Health Systems offers up to $20,000 in financial assistance.