Family friendly benefits have been on the rise for companies nationwide, but it’s clear there needs to be more nuanced approaches to parenthood in the workplace. The United States continues to fail its working parents, forcing families to pick between parenthood and their livelihood with the gap in access to paid parental leave (PPL). This means that the majority of employees are unable to take parental leave, which sends the message that having a family is looked down upon rather than celebrated. To help drive change for working parents across the nation, we’ll share why advocating for PPL is needed, what the existing options are, how PPL can transform your workplace, and how you can advocate.
Now we know that advocating for PPL as one employee is no small feat, but every voice matters and everyone deserves PPL. While 70% of employers wanted to add or expand PPL in 2023, only 27% of employees in the private sector have access to PPL. Even if employees can take protected time off under federal or state law like the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), this time is unpaid without PPL. And if you’re a dad or not giving birth, a lack of PPL affects you just as much (if not more). Advocating for PPL ensures ALL parents are covered equally and aligns workplace practices with global norms and standards, showcasing a commitment to progress.
The good news is that more and more employers are offering paid paternity leave, but there are still very low rates of programs supporting parents who are adopting or fostering. We believe in widespread parental leave support for every parent - whether birthing, non-birthing, adopting or fostering - and provide affordable coverage plans.
PPL promotes health equity and provides financial stability, and most developed countries already prioritize and support it. Society of Human Resources (SHRM) found that 32% of employers provide paid paternity leave, 34% offer paid adoption leave, and only 25% provide paid foster child leave. While these rates increased in 2023, without a PPL policy in place, many non-birthing parents do not have access to paid time off aside from their own vacation.
We believe that a national paid parental leave policy is necessary, but we don't believe working parents and communities should have to wait until a plan is in place to execute.
PPL has now become a fundamental right and a business imperative, topping the list for benefits and perks that employees want. The United States is one of only a handful of developed nations without federal paid parental leave, which leaves employers scrambling to manage and afford PPL. Here are their options:
The first option for employers is also unfortunately the most common, which is to do nothing. But these standard company policies (or lack thereof) are setting up working parents to fail. Women in family-building years are disproportionately affected by the lack of a PPL policy, and the impact of unsupportive workplaces for working parents is even driving down birth rates. This leads to many employees quitting their jobs, choosing companies with family-friendly benefits to spend time with their new children.
Another option for companies is to rely on private policies or try to self-fund, but this is expensive and not feasible for most companies. Not only are private policies not required, they are also not equitable. Private policies and self-funding are also a challenge to equitably extend the same paid time off to all parent employees while managing costs year over year, which leads to discriminatory policies that only cover certain parents.
The final option is for companies to rely on state programs like Paid Family Leave (PFL) or disability insurance (DI). Typically DI has been used for maternity leave as a proxy, but these traditional options only provide a percentage of pay. Existing state mandated disability or PFL programs run concurrently with FMLA, but this paid benefit isn’t available in all states.
PPL is not just a perk or benefit; it's a catalyst for change. Here are key changes and improvements you can expect you can expect with PPL in your workplace:
To solve for the limited options for PPL in the United States, Parento is the first and only program providing a scalable, nationwide solution. Our suite of products, anchored by Paid Parental Leave Insurance coverage, is 100% employer-paid, with no employee contribution. The program is industry and company size agnostic, with the ability to bind PPL policies for companies with 10+ or more full-time employees. Employees remain on payroll during the duration of their leave, there are no messy W-2s, and no opt-in process or enrollment.
We know parenthood is not cookie cutter so our products are personalized for every parent's experience with three solutions in one, making it an excellent investment for companies to future-proof the workplace.
I’m really grateful to Mursion for their leave policy and the support systems they provide (like Parento!). Because I have so much leave I don’t have to stress over getting the twins on a sleeping or eating schedule. I can follow their lead and be much more relaxed about it all. - Sarah F., Mursion
PPL Insurance: Through Parento, your employer can offer gender-neutral paid parental leave insurance up to 100% pay for 6-16 weeks, available for ALL parents. This is available nationwide to employers with >10 employees, eliminating the need for separate policies for birth moms, dads, adoptive parents, and foster parents. Learn more: 5 Things You Need to Know About PPL Insurance
Expert Leave Concierge: Access to a dedicated leave and claims team and Parento Portal for seamless integration and white-glove experience. We work alongside existing employer disability policies and with any available state benefit programs, including Paid Family Leave. We provide detailed payroll calculations including STD and state benefit offsets, reconcile payroll, streamline PFL/STD filing, provide tailored guidance for employees, and more.
Parent Experience: Proactive support at every parenting stage, from pre-conception to pre-teen, available before, during and after leave. Employees and their partners have access to unlimited individual and group coaching.
"As a mom of an almost 8-year-old, Parento's coaching sessions have been invaluable! I've been working with Amanda, and her personalized guidance, strategies and tips on how I can better communicate and bond with my very willful and sensitive kid have been incredibly helpful. From learning how to help my kid manage their anger, to minimizing their whining, to giving myself more credit...I now feel more confident in my parenting journey because of Amanda's support. Thank you!" - F. Lao
Now that you’re equipped with why PPL is important and how the Parento program can help your company support working parents, you’re ready to go from employee to PPL champion.
To help you become an unmatched expert and advocate for paid parental leave at work, our Parent to Champion Advocacy Toolkit was designed to equip you with the knowledge and tools to confidently champion this cause within your organization.
This free resource is full of impactful statistics, details about the current state of PPL, options available for employers, how PPL will change the workplace, and even email templates.
Here are a few steps to get started:
While we find that employers appreciate hearing from employees directly, we understand that talking with HR or leadership may not be the right fit for you. Another option we have is for you to simply Refer Your Employer and our team will reach out directly to your contact.
No matter how you move forward, we've got you covered! We believe that parents should not have to pick between caring for their child or their next paycheck. They should not be forced back to work prematurely, and they deserve parental leave whether they birth, adopt or foster. Parents deserve equitable, gender-neutral coverage, and they need it today. Together, we can transform your workplace.
