Two days after Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to take two months parental leave following the birth of his child sometime next year, the Facebook founder and CEO revealed that the social media empire will now give fathers and members of same-sex couples leave for up to four months.

Zuckerberg, who is expecting a child with Priscilla Chan, a Bay Area pediatrician and Zuckerberg's wife of three years, expanded the policy from the previous maternity-focused iteration in an attempt to put all employees on equitable footing, no matter their gender or sexual orientation. The new policy will also include employees who live both in and outside of the U.S.

"Our approach to benefits at Facebook is to support our employees and the people who matter most to them," said Lori Matloff Goler, Facebook's head of human resources, in an official statement posted on the site. "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. An important part of this is offering paid parental or 'baby' leave."

The subject of parental leave has become a hot-button issue in the United States; the policies of most American businesses are categorically less and more sparse than those offered in other countries like Germany or Canada. As Vox pointed out, tech companies like Facebook seem to be leading the charge in overturning outdated policies and putting upgraded ones in place, which tends to contradict Silicon Valley's touted workhaholic culture.

"Taking parental leave is a very personal decision," asserted Matloff Goler, "but we want to be able to provide our people with the support and flexibility to take the time they need."

Via: The Guardian

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