Apple Announces Expanded Employee Benefits for New Parents

Wednesday November 6, 2019 2:54 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple today announced a new employee benefit that's designed to ease the transition back to work for new parents, expanding on the 16 weeks of leave that parents are already provided with an additional four-week grace period.

Apple's head of retail and human resources shared details on the changes with Fast Company.

"What we find a lot of times is people are really excited to get back to work," says O'Brien, Apple's head of retail and human resources. "At the same time, [they] feel like they need to make sure things are really stable and successful at home. And that weighs heavy on people's minds, I think."
Apple's new policy will give parents a four-week period after returning from leave where they'll be paid like full-time employees but will have the flexibility to work part-time or set their own hours with a manager's oversight.

The updated transition period will be available to all new parents, including those who adopt or take in foster children (non-birth parents are allowed six weeks of paid leave rather than 16). Retail workers are also able to take advantage of the parental leave changes.

Along with the new transition period, Apple is expanding leave for adoptive parents by four weeks through a Paid Family Care benefit that lets parents take time off for family illness. Apple is also tripling its financial assistance for families that choose to adopt, providing up to $14,000 towards an adoption.

For all employees, Apple is improving its mental wellness benefits and will double the number of free counseling sessions available to employees per year along with providing telemedicine options.

According to O'Brien, Apple is hoping to make it easier for parents to ultimately return to work after a period of leave. "I think many times working parents feel like they need to deal with that quietly and make it seem perfectly seamless," O'Brien told Fast Company. "We all know life is complicated. So [we're] making it really clear that we're supporting them in that journey."

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Eric5h5
2 weeks ago


What are non-parents getting?

A few hundred grand and way more free time.

--Eric
Rating: 60 Votes
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btrach144
2 weeks ago


What about the infertile?

I work for Microsoft and we offer fertility services and adoption services assistance (money and resources). Adoptive parents receive the same time off as birth parents.
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What are non-parents getting?

Why do you act like it’s a vacation? I’m currently on paternity leave and haven’t slept in the last two weeks.

Why do “non-parents” deserve something for not doing anything?
Rating: 50 Votes
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Stella
2 weeks ago


What are non-parents getting?


You get sleep.
Rating: 34 Votes
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MrTemple
2 weeks ago
Why do Americans put up with such pitiful parental leave?
Rating: 29 Votes
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Rocko99991
2 weeks ago
What are non-parents getting?
Rating: 25 Votes
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Saipher
2 weeks ago
Awesome news for Apple employees! I just wish such parental, and social in general, benefits would be the government standard nationwide (US) than an outlier from private company.
Rating: 22 Votes
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bbeagle
2 weeks ago


Why should the standard be that having a baby means your fellow employees need to pick up your slack and your employer needs to keep paying you to do nothing?


You need to stop thinking that way.

Why should companies allow employees to take holidays, or have vacation or sick time? Those are all times where your employer is paying you to do nothing.

People's lives should matter. But Americans are accustomed to think of the business interests over their own.
Rating: 20 Votes
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barbu
2 weeks ago
Meanwhile in civilized countries, we generally get 12 months. Recently they added an option for an extra six mo. if you accept the pay hit. We see it as an investment in the future, but I realize that isn’t an American ideal.
Rating: 17 Votes
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jimbobb24
2 weeks ago


Awesome news for Apple employees! I just wish such parental, and social in general, benefits would be the government standard nationwide (US) than an outlier from private company.

I am a parent and probably one of the biggest fans of people having children in the world. On average I took off 2-3 days for my children. Why should the standard be that having a baby means your fellow employees need to pick up your slack and your employer needs to keep paying you to do nothing? This is great for Apple but if I were single I would be upset that the wonder and joy of someone having a child means my job is all screwed up? If your company can handle that great - but that would destroy my company so I don’t want that to be the standard.
Rating: 16 Votes
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PickUrPoison
2 weeks ago


First - Just because you don't think that way doesn't mean everyone has to conform to your thinking.

Second - All the examples you used are shared for all employees, not just crotch fruit bearing people. Companies don't hire people to take those on leave's place while they are out. Other people pick up the slack without proper compensation. If you want to have children that's fine, but 1/2 the pay should be given to the people picking up the slack.

Society as a whole has an interest in the health of children, whether you personally have any or not. Deal with it.

Apple’s doing the right thing.
Rating: 13 Votes

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