Vodafone received a ton of attention (including from us) for its new 16-weeks paid maternity leave policy in the US. After all, the US joins Lesotho, Swaziland, and Papua New Guinea as the only nations where there isn’t any paid maternity leave.
Author Avivah Wittenberg-Cox appreciates Vodafone's new policy while noted its downside: it's only it's aimed at women. Newer companies like Reddit, Facebook or Instagram (and many countries) offer or even mandate gender-neutral leave for both parents.
As Avivah Wittenberg-Cox notes: "...we should also recognize such mother-focused policies for what they are: cutting edge … by 1970s standards."
Parental Leave Can’t Just Be for Mothers - HBR.
