Today's featured company is Girl Scouts of the USA, the national organization that oversees the 112 independent Girl Scout Councils and 1.9 million Girl Scouts across the U.S. In October, Girl Scouts added 12 weeks of paid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child (or foster care) to their benefits package.
Their press release is reprinted in its entirety below. But here's why we think it's awesome.
IT’S ON MISSION
From the release: “Demonstrating to our children that parenting is the responsibility of both adults in a two-parent situation is a vital aspect of creating greater gender parity within our society.”
IT’S AHEAD OF THE CURVE
Over the next 10 years or so, we expect expanded parental leave policies will become the norm. By being out in front, Girl Scouts demonstrates a concrete commitment to the well-being of its employees. And it probably also reduced staff turnover.
Nice work, Girl Scouts!
Girl Scouts of the USA Among Leaders in New-Parent Benefits
Parental Leave Policy Now Offers Paternity Leave and Expanded Benefits for Maternity Leave, Promoting Gender Parity Through Option of Shared Childcare
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Girl Scouts of the USA Press Room
media@girlscouts.org
212-852-8525
NEW YORK, NY—Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) today announced a major overhaul of its employee benefits package that exponentially increases paid time off for new parents. Under its new parental leave plan, in effect beginning October 1, 2016, GSUSA employees are able to take additional paid time off for maternity, and, for the first time ever, paternity leave, in the event of childbirth, adoption, or foster care, for up to 12 weeks. Previously, a combination of federal and state laws, short-term disability, and GSUSA policy ensured that new mothers were covered during leave periods, although those leaves typically averaged only six weeks. New fathers had no specific paternity coverage and were compelled to use personal time off to attend to childcare. Now, both male and female employees can expand the length of paid parental leave under GSUSA’s new benefit, which allows for continued maternity leave coverage beyond the average doctor’s prescription for up to 12 weeks and for paternity leave coverage for up to 12 weeks as well.
The enhancement puts Girl Scouts at the cutting edge of companies in the United States in terms of the quantity of quality time now available for mothers and fathers to spend with their new children—regardless of how that child comes into their lives, or the nature and structure of their new family. It is the first time in the history of the organization that paternal leave of any kind is being offered to fathers, giving them a chance to be available for their new children and to demonstrate that child-rearing is not the exclusive purview of one gender or parent. Parental leave options will be allowed in four-week increments, permitting employees to choose when and how to structure their leave for up to 12 weeks, as long as all of the benefit is used within the first year of the child coming into the family. By easing the burden on parents and offering flexible options, GSUSA is helping employees build strong, stable families where the heavy work of childcare can be shared equally.
“Girl Scouts is taking the lead in ensuring new parents can focus on their family during the formative first months of a child’s development and not have to choose between work and being present in the lives of their new children,” said Joanne Rencher, chief people officer of GSUSA. “We are proud to be among the leaders in our sector in offering both men and women in our employ an opportunity to share in the joys and heavy workload of caring for a new child so that the burden does not fall disproportionately on one parent in two-parent households or cause additional worries about income during those all-important first few months. Demonstrating to our children that parenting is the responsibility of both adults in a two-parent situation is a vital aspect of creating greater gender parity within our society. And as more and more millennial employees decide to start families, Girl Scouts is working to stay ahead of the curve by ensuring our policies and benefits match the ways our families live.”
The benefit is open to all regular, full-time employees who have completed one year of service at GSUSA, and benefit payments will be tiered based on years of service. The new parental leave benefit will run concurrently with coverage available to GSUSA employees through the Family Medical Leave Act, which ensures 12 weeks of unpaid medical leave with job security for all eligible employees and short-term disability when applicable. In combination with GSUSA’s parental leave benefit, both mothers and fathers welcoming a new child into their lives can rest assured that their jobs and their paychecks are secure as they and their partners experience the first 12 weeks of their new family.
We're Girl Scouts of the USA
We're 2.7 million strong—1.9 million girls and 800,000 adults who believe girls can change the world. It began over 100 years ago with one woman, Girl Scouts' founder Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low, who believed in the power of every girl. She organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, and every year since, we've made her vision a reality, helping girls discover their strengths, passions, and talents. Today we continue the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. We're the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. And with programs for girls from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to do something amazing. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.girlscouts.org.
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Listing image: Girl Scouts at Hoover Dam 2014-2 by Bureau of Reclamation (CC BY 2.0)