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Microsoft will mandate its contractors to provide paid parental leaves to their employees next year.
According to the Washington-based tech giant, it created the policy following Washington’s legislation, which will be implemented in 2020. This state law will oblige companies to provide paid parental leaves to all contractual workers and employees.
Microsoft’s new policy applies to businesses that have a minimum of 50 US-based employees with a significant amount of transactions with Microsoft in terms of accessing the company’s buildings or data network. Contractors are required to offer a three-month minimum parental leave to their employees who will either give birth or adopt a child. These employees include cafeteria crews, janitors, engineering consultants, and information technology support personnel.
Eligible employees will receive a weekly pay of up to $1,000. With this, Microsoft is expecting that the initiative will raise costs. Nonetheless, the company’s corporate vice president and general counsel, Dev Stahlkopf [dev sh-TUHL-kohf], said that the initiative is worth the expenses. Stahlkopf explained that the benefit will boost the productivity and confidence of new mothers and will allow fathers to spend more time with young children.
This is not the first time that Microsoft put importance on paid leaves for employees. In 2015, the company required its suppliers to provide a minimum of 15 days off to contractual workers who worked with Microsoft.
Other companies such as Facebook, Netflix, and Amazon also developed policies on family leaves in the same year.