Another Tech Company Sweetens the Pot for New Parents

By Rachel Feintzeig 

Less than a week after Netflix and Microsoft announced generous new maternity and paternity leave policies, another tech firm has a special delivery for new parents. This time, it's Adobe Systems Inc., the San Jose, Calif., maker of software like Photoshop, which said Monday that it will expand paid time off for new birth mothers to 26 weeks.

The change, which goes into effect on Nov. 1, adds 10 weeks of paid time off for new mothers. Fathers, or those who aren't primary caregivers, will get 14 weeks of leave at full pay.

"We join an industry movement to better support our employees while striving toward increased workforce diversity," Donna Morris, a human resources executive at the company, wrote on the company's blog Monday.

The technology industry attracts some of the nation's top talent, especially in Silicon Valley, where the sector is booming, and pay for recent engineering grads can be well into six figures. But even as firms woo hires with promises of free food, hip offices and prestigious work, some wonder if the long hours that tech companies often demand are compatible with parenthood.

The question has become more pressing as tech companies grapple with their own lack of gender and racial diversity. Breakdowns released last year by companies like Twitter Inc., Facebook Inc. and Yahoo Inc. revealed a workforce that's predominantly male and white or Asian, with very few women and people of color in leadership roles.

Meanwhile, the U.S. remains an outlier among developed nations for not guaranteeing some paid leave for new mothers. In her blog post, Ms. Morris noted that "government mandates for paid leave are currently slim to nonexistent" in the U.S.

"That means companies must navigate the tough balance between supporting employees during major life events and meeting business goals," she wrote. "Too often, employees have not had the support they need."

Adobe's new policy includes 10 weeks of paid medical leave for childbirth, surgery, medical emergency or illness plus 16 weeks of paid time for primary caregivers, intended to allow parents--including those who adopt--to bond with their children. Adobe is also offering employees up to four paid weeks to care for a sick family member.

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