7 Entrepreneurs’ Approaches to Parental Leave Policies

From a few weeks of paid leave to unlimited time off, companies take varying approaches to accommodating their employees’ maternity and paternity leaves.

Question: Do you have a maternity/paternity leave policy? If so, what is it and how did you come to that decision?

Open Door Policy

"My team members know that I'm flexible with their schedules, especially when it comes to life events like maternity or paternity leave. I try to establish an open door policy for them to come to me at any time with issues such as taking time off for life events. I try to be fair and have worked a policy of paid leave into my budget for just this occasion."


Not a Policy, but an Approach

"We don't have a maternity/paternity policy; we have an approach. Instead of having a specific allowance of days or weeks off, we work with each employee to develop a plan that fits their needs as professionals and as parents. In some cases, this means more flexible working hours, working from home or giving the option for part-time employment for both fathers and mothers."


Paid Parental Leave

"We have two months paid maternity leave and one and a half months paid paternity leave. Our HR director put together a comprehensive paid time off plan when our startup grew past 20 people. Before, we had an unlimited time off plan, which made teammates hesitant to take vacations. The founders worked with our HR director to build our policy, incorporating feedback from our teammates and other startups."


Freedom and Flexibility

"In our office, we do not restrict the amount of days you can take off for vacation nor do we limit the days off for maternity/paternity leave. The moments right after having a child are incredibly important, and we provide each employee the freedom (and encouragement) to decide the amount of time they need to take off in order to fully enjoy the first special moments with their child."


General Policy

"We offer one month of paid leave to new parents, because we understand how important and challenging those first few weeks are. We want our employees to be happy so that they stay with us long-term, and part of that is establishing a work-life balance. Helping them become parents is part of establishing respect for family life and making it part of our work culture."


No Fixed Policy

"Since we're 100 percent remote, but also bootstrapped, what we can't offer in paid leave we can more than make up for in flexibility. Our employees know that their jobs will still be there waiting for them when they're ready to come back -- not just in cases of maternity/paternity leave, but also in cases of accidents, family emergencies, etc. We're set up so they can work the hours that their health permits."


Support for Those That Support Your Business

"As as entrepreneur, it's important to be mindful of the human element. We currently offer two weeks of paid leave and up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. The key to a successful business is to not only keep your customers happy but your employees happy as well. If you focus on a better experience for both parties, it is sure to help fuel your business."


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7 Entrepreneurs’ Approaches to Parental Leave Policies

From a few weeks of paid leave to unlimited time off, companies take varying approaches to accommodating their employees’ maternity and paternity leaves.

Question: Do you have a maternity/paternity leave policy? If so, what is it and how did you come to that decision?

Open Door Policy

"My team members know that I'm flexible with their schedules, especially when it comes to life events like maternity or paternity leave. I try to establish an open door policy for them to come to me at any time with issues such as taking time off for life events. I try to be fair and have worked a policy of paid leave into my budget for just this occasion."


Not a Policy, but an Approach

"We don't have a maternity/paternity policy; we have an approach. Instead of having a specific allowance of days or weeks off, we work with each employee to develop a plan that fits their needs as professionals and as parents. In some cases, this means more flexible working hours, working from home or giving the option for part-time employment for both fathers and mothers."


Paid Parental Leave

"We have two months paid maternity leave and one and a half months paid paternity leave. Our HR director put together a comprehensive paid time off plan when our startup grew past 20 people. Before, we had an unlimited time off plan, which made teammates hesitant to take vacations. The founders worked with our HR director to build our policy, incorporating feedback from our teammates and other startups."


Freedom and Flexibility

"In our office, we do not restrict the amount of days you can take off for vacation nor do we limit the days off for maternity/paternity leave. The moments right after having a child are incredibly important, and we provide each employee the freedom (and encouragement) to decide the amount of time they need to take off in order to fully enjoy the first special moments with their child."


General Policy

"We offer one month of paid leave to new parents, because we understand how important and challenging those first few weeks are. We want our employees to be happy so that they stay with us long-term, and part of that is establishing a work-life balance. Helping them become parents is part of establishing respect for family life and making it part of our work culture."


No Fixed Policy

"Since we're 100 percent remote, but also bootstrapped, what we can't offer in paid leave we can more than make up for in flexibility. Our employees know that their jobs will still be there waiting for them when they're ready to come back -- not just in cases of maternity/paternity leave, but also in cases of accidents, family emergencies, etc. We're set up so they can work the hours that their health permits."


Support for Those That Support Your Business

"As as entrepreneur, it's important to be mindful of the human element. We currently offer two weeks of paid leave and up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. The key to a successful business is to not only keep your customers happy but your employees happy as well. If you focus on a better experience for both parties, it is sure to help fuel your business."


See Also: 3 Tried-and-True Tips for Managing a Remote Workforce

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