Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is enhancing its maternity and paternity leave benefits.
The company announced that it will be upgrading its current 12 weeks of Parental Leave, which includes four paid and eight unpaid weeks. Now, Microsoft employees will get 12 weeks of paid Parental Leave.
“For these parents to bring their best every day, they need time to take care of themselves and their family,” the company wrote. Mothers will continue to get eight weeks of paid leave.
This means that mothers can get a total of 20 weeks of fully paid leave if they choose to do so. A Short-Term Disability Leave will also be offered two weeks prior to a pregnant mother’s scheduled birth so she can deal with the physical symptoms of pregnancy.
Parents can choose when to take the leave and they have the flexibility to do it in one continuous period or split in two periods. The new rule will be in effect as of Nov. 1, 2015.
Netflix recently updated its maternity and paternity leave for employees as well.
MSFT stock is up 0.78% Wednesday.