ML Interest Tag: parental-leave

Lowe’s Makes Awesome Changes to Its Parental Leave Policies

by Erica Loop

One of the major home improvement big-box retailers is about to give its employees a treat. Yep, Lowe’s parental leave policies are changing. The company recently announced a plan to enhance benefits for their employees, including new bonuses, an expansion to maternal and parental leave policies and added adoption assistance.

photo credit: Lowe’s

Lowe’s chairman, president and CEO, Robert A. Niblock, said, “We are investing in our employees who make a difference every day in the communities where we live and work.” He went on to add, “Our employees are the foundation of our business, and we are excited to enhance our benefits to better meet their needs and the needs of their families.”

So what are these new enhanced benefits exactly? In the announcement, Lowe released their plan to give a one-time cash bonus to all eligible full- and part-time hourly employees. This includes employees who work in Lowe’s retail stores as well as their customer support centers, distribution centers and contact centers.

Along with a cash bonus, eligible employees (both hourly and salaried) can now get 10 weeks of paid maternity leaves and two weeks of paid parental leave. Employees who are adopting can get an adoption assistance benefit that will cover up to $5,000 of their eligible expenses. The “eligible expenses” include agency fees, legal fees or additional fees that also relate to the adoption.

Oh, but these aren’t the only changes that Lowe’s is making. The company will also provide eligible employees with the chance to enroll in health benefits earlier on (the first of the month, following a 30-day service period).

What do you think about the changes that Lowe’s is making? Share your thoughts in the comments below. —Erica Loop

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Walmart Expands Maternity and Paternity Leave

by Erica Loop

The U.S. isn’t exactly at the top of the list when it comes to countries that offer crazy-awesome family leave benefits. But that isn’t going to stop Walmart from adding to their maternity and parental leave benefits. Along with other incentives, such as an increase to their starting hourly wage and a one-time $1,000 cash bonus for eligible associates, the big box retailer is taking a step towards making it easier to parent.

Walmart’s new expanded parental leave policy will give full-time hourly associates 10 weeks of paid maternity leave. Along with the maternity leave increase, Walmart is also adding six weeks of paid parental leave. This goes for both hourly and salaried employees.

The mega-retailer also wants to help associates who want to adopt. Their adoption assistance plan provides $5,000 per child for full-time hourly and salaried employees. Associates can use this money to pay for fees that adoption agencies charge, translation fees and even for the legal fees that are part of the adoption process.

Doug McMillon, Walmart’s President and CEO, said in a press release, “Today, we are building on investments we’ve been making in associates, in their wages and skills development.” He added, “It’s our people who make the difference and we appreciate how they work hard to make every day easier for busy families.”

With Walmart’s new maternity, paternal and adoption assistance policies, they’re certainly making a statement and doing more to help their employees parent while still working.

How many weeks paid leave do you think are enough after having or adopting a baby? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Because of Millennials, Coke Offers Paid Leave For All New Parents

by Red Tricycle
As a new parent (or parent-to-be) we’re guessing high up on your list of must-haves are: more sleep, more sleep and more time with your newborn. Good news: Coca-Cola hears you loud and clear. They recently conducted a study with its millennial employees and found that what this group wanted most was paid parental leave. Their new policy, effective Jan. 1, 2017, will offer six weeks of paid leave for all parents including moms, dads, foster parents and adoptive parents. So while the company can’t help with those extra zzz’s, they can give new parents more time to bond with their new additions, and that’s something worth celebrating.

Photo courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company

“We think the most successful way to structure benefits to help working families is to make them gender-neutral and encourage both moms and dads to play an active role in their family lives,” said Ceree Eberly, Coca-Cola’s Chief People Officer in their new release.

Video courtesy of The Coca-Cola Company

Do you know another amazing business that offers paid parental leave for parents? Tell us in the comments below!

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New Study Ranks the Best & Worst States to Raise a Family In 2017

by Red Tricycle

Photo: Pexels

When choosing a place to settle down and raise a family, many factors come into play: career opportunities, location of family and friends, school districts, outdoor settings, etc. Yet, according to a study by WalletHub, some states are simply better to raise a family than others.

In the study, WalletHub’s data team evaluated and compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 40 key indicators of “family-friendliness”– such as housing affordability, paid family leave, daycare quality, and (uh-oh!) divorce rate.

Read through for the rankings as well as some notable highlights from the study.

10 Best States to Raise a Family

1. North Dakota- Total Score: 65.81 (Ranked #2 in socioeconomics*)

2. New Hampshire- Total Score: 65.59

3. Vermont- Total Score: 65.24 (Ranked #1 in health and safety*)

4. Minnesota- Total Score: 65.22 (Ranked #2 in affordability*)

5. Nebraska- Total Score: 64.18

6. Massachusetts- Total Score: 63.98

7. New Jersey- Total Score: 63.84 (Ranked #1 in education and child care*)

8. Iowa- Total Score: 63.25 (Ranked #1 in affordability)

9. Connecticut- Total Score: 62.93

10. South Dakota- Total Score: 62.70 (Ranked #1 in family fun*)

10 Worst States to Raise a Family:

10. Alabama- Total Score: 44.32

9. West Virginia- Total Score: 44.27 (Ranked #51- in family fun)

8. Georgia- Total Score: 44.13

7. Arizona- Total Score:  43.56

6. Alaska- Total Score:  43.37 (Ranked #50 in health and safety)

5. Nevada- Total Score:  42.39

4. Louisiana- Total Score: 42.00

3. District of Columbia- Total Score: 41.13 (Ranked #51 in socioeconomics)

2. Mississippi- Total Score: 39.85 (Ranked #50 in affordability, family fun)

1. New Mexico- Total Score:  38.58 (Ranked #50 in education/child care, socioeconomics; ranked #51 in affordability)

Notable highlights:

  • The most affordable housing can be found in Iowa, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and Kansas, whereas homes in Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, Hawaii, and DC are the least affordable.
  • The lowest infant mortality rate can be found in California, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, whereas Alabama, Mississippi, and Oklahoma have the highest.
  • The lowest childcare costs can be found in Mississippi and South Dakota, whereas District of Columbia and New York pay the most for child care.
  • Utah, North Dakota, and New Jersey have the lowest divorce rate. District of Columbia, Nevada, and Florida have the highest divorce rate.

*Categories:

  • Family Fun (includes number of attractions, fitness & recreational sports centers per capita, and average commute time)
  • Health & Safety (includes quality of public hospitals, infant mortality rate, water and air quality)
  • Education & Child Care (includes public high school graduation rate, child-care costs, and parental leave)
  • Affordability (includes housing affordability, median credit score, median family annual income, and employer-based retirement plans)
  • Socioeconomics (includes separation and divorce rate, share of families receiving food stamps, paid family leave, and job security)

Scroll over to see where your state ranked.

Source:
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