Skip to Content
Uncategorized

Microsoft is making its suppliers give paid parental leave

August 30, 2018

The tech giant’s move builds on family leave legislation passed in Washington state last year.

The news:  Microsoft announced today that it’ll require all of its US-based vendors and suppliers with more than 50 employees to offer at least 12 weeks of paid parental leave, up to $1,000 a week. That includes contractors providing janitorial and reception services to the company.

For comparison… Microsoft’s own staff get 12 weeks of fully paid leave, and birth mothers get an additional eight weeks.

Building on the past:  In 2015 the company required suppliers to offer at least 15 days of sick leave or vacation a year. The latest move takes inspiration from a law passed in 2017 by the tech company’s home state, Washington.

The impact on workers: With more than 1,000 suppliers, Microsoft will be giving parental leave to many thousands of workers who currently don’t have it.

The impact on Microsoft: “We understand this may increase our costs, and we think that’s well worth the price,” Dev Stahlkopf, Microsoft’s general counsel, told the Wall Street Journal.

Why it matters: Contract workers are a crucial pillar of large corporations. Microsoft’s move could set an example for other big companies and thus force a lot of smaller ones to change their policies.

This story first appeared in our future of work newsletter, Clocking In. You can sign up here.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build

“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”

ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it

The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.

Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives

The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.

Learning to code isn’t enough

Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.