Microsoft directs its suppliers to provide paid parental leave

Microsoft has announced it would direct its US suppliers and business partners to offer workers 12 weeks of paid parental leave.

"Over the next 12 months we will work with our US suppliers to implement this new paid parental leave policy. It will require that suppliers offer their employees a minimum of 12 weeks paid parental leave, up to $1,000 per week," said Dev Stahlkopf - Corporate Vice President and General Counsel, Microsoft, in a blog post on Thursday.

The announcement comes amid an ongoing national dialogue about the importance of paid parental leave.

The company will require that suppliers offer their employees a minimum of 12 weeks' paid parental leave, up to $1,000 per week.

"The new policy applies to all parents employed by our suppliers who take time off for the birth or adoption of a child. It also applies to suppliers with more than 50 employees and covers supplier employees who perform substantial work for Microsoft.

"We have long recognised that the health, well-being and diversity of our employees helps Microsoft succeed. That's why we provide industry-leading benefits for our employees, including comprehensive health and wellness programmes for families, paid vacation, paid sick leave and paid time off for new parents," Stahlkopf said.

Microsoft, had in 2015, first announced that it will make changes to ensure that a wide variety of suppliers that do business with the tech giant in the US provide their employees who handle our work with at least 15 days of paid leave each year.

The tech giant said it will work with the suppliers to understand the impact of this change, in a thoughtful way.

"We appreciate that this may ultimately result in increased costs for Microsoft, and we'll put a process in place for addressing these issues with our suppliers. Our first step will be reaching out to our suppliers to discuss the impact of this policy change," Stahlkopf said.

--IANS

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