Previously, Coca-Cola only gave six to eight weeks paid leave to female employees who recently gave birth. However, starting in January, all nw parents at Coca-Cola, including dads, same-sex parents, and adoptive/foster parents will be entitled to six weeks off upon the arrival of their kids. Birth mothers will also be entitled to an additional six to eight weeks leave. The new benefit is not available to unionized Coca-Cola workers but overall 40,000 employees are eligible, out of 60,000 in the U.S., according to the Huff Post.
“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, Coke’s chief people officer.
The shift comes as an effort to attract millennials to their company. Coca-Cola estimates that millennials, ages 18 to 34, will make up more than half its global workforce by 2020.
Starting January 1, 2017 Coca-Cola will join the likes of Apple, Facebook and Google who have hefty benefit packages for new parents.
