First and foremost: We at Computer Geeks would like to congratulate Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer and her husband Zack on their expectancy of twins. But it’s Mayer’s work decision during the maternity process that has many talking.
Marissa Mayer announced she was taking limited time away and working throughout this process. She did the same thing back in 2012, when her first son was born. Her first son was born right after she became Yahoo CEO. Her twin girls are expected to arrive in December 2015. But Mayer’s decision comes at a time when maternity leave, especially for tech industry women, is a hot button issue. Some complain she should take more time off. Some even say she’s setting a bad example for working women by keeping such a rigorous schedule while becoming a three-time mother. Thankfully, Yahoo’s maternity leave policy is far more lenient. Yahoo offers 16 weeks of paid maternity leave for new mothers and 8 weeks of paid paternity leave for new fathers. Yahoo gives new parents who are employees $500 to spend on supplies like diapers, food, clothes and childcare. But this is nothing compared to Netflix. Several weeks ago, Netflix offered a whole year of paid maternity leave for all new parents. That’s record breaking.
So what do I think about Mayer’s decision to work through her pregnancy? I say to each her own. If taking this approach is what’s good for Mayer and her family, then who are we to complain? Who are we to tell her how to raise her family? ?I’m just glad Yahoo and other Silicon Valley companies are offering generous paternity and maternity policies for their employees. Did you know that of all developed nations, the United States of America is the stingiest when it comes to maternity leave policies? When a parent welcomes a child in the world, the last thing she or he ought to be worried about is, “Is my job going to be there when I get back?” Will better maternity leave policies catch on in this country?