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Facebook Expands Parental Leave Policy For All Employees Globally (mashable.com)

Reuters reports that Mark Zuckerberg's not the only Facebook employee who will enjoy a nice chunk of time off to spend with a new baby; the company is expanding its parental leave policy (and posting on Facebook about it). The benefit includes up to four months of paid leave, to all full-time employees, including those outside the U.S., regardless of sex, within a new child's first year. That means that new parents of either sex will be allowed to take a longer absence; previously, non-U.S. employees who were not primary caregivers were granted four weeks of leave. From the Reuters story: [Facebook HR head Lori Matloff] Goler said the new policy will primarily help new fathers and employees in same-sex relationships outside the United States, noting that it will not change maternity leave already available to employees worldwide. ... Technology companies in Silicon Valley have been rushing to extend parental leave allowances and other benefits to help recruit and retain employees. Many high-tech workers, however, do not take advantage of such benefits for fear of falling behind at work or missing out on promotions.

68 of 130 comments (clear)

  1. This wasn't the policy before? by SeaFox · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Sounds like Zuck made a mistake talking about his own leave, and caused some complaints in the company.

    1. Re:This wasn't the policy before? by sociocapitalist · · Score: 1

      Sounds like Zuck made a mistake talking about his own leave, and caused some complaints in the company.

      His own 2 months of leave when his US based employees already got 4 ?

      No. I think that FB got good publicity from this and decided that more of a good thing is, in fact, a good thing.

      --
      blindly antisocialist = antisocial
  2. News for Facebook employees by Kohath · · Score: 1

    Why would non-Facebook employees be interested in this at all?

    1. Re:News for Facebook employees by CrankyFool · · Score: 1

      Because -- given the tech talent crunch -- tech companies are competing for talent. One way they do that is by providing more aggressive benefits. This means that as large name-brand companies change their benefits (such as parental leave) for the better, other companies are likely to follow.

      And I speak here as someone who works at Netflix, which went public with "do what makes sense for you and we'll cover you for a year after your child's birth or adoption" a few months ago.

      In short: Facebook doing it will have a positive impact on the benefits arms race which non-Facebook employees will benefit from.

    2. Re:News for Facebook employees by SeaFox · · Score: 1

      It's a sign of Corporate America actually acknowledging their employees as human beings and not just "human resource cogs" in their money-making machine. It takes the same time and energy to raise a child whether you're a CxO or one of the 99%. A maternity leave policy that doesn't discriminate on this point is a Good Thing.

    3. Re:News for Facebook employees by rudy_wayne · · Score: 1

      Because -- given the tech talent crunch -- tech companies are competing for talent. One way they do that is by providing more aggressive benefits. This means that as large name-brand companies change their benefits (such as parental leave) for the better, other companies are likely to follow.

      It's all public relations bullshit.

      If you can take several months off, it just means the company doesn't really need you. Or, it means someone else is will have to work harder (with no extra pay) to make up for your absence

    4. Re:News for Facebook employees by Kohath · · Score: 1

      Facebook isn't really like "Corporate America". Facebook can afford to give expensive benefits to employees because Facebook's business is hugely profitable and growing fast. Most companies have neither Facebook's growth nor Facebook's profit potential. If you expect other companies to be like Facebook, you will be disappointed.

    5. Re:News for Facebook employees by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

      If you can take several months off, it just means the company doesn't really need you. Or, it means someone else is will have to work harder (with no extra pay) to make up for your absence

      That's why God made temporary workers. If the absence of one employee means "someone else will have to work harder", then companies need to examine their staffing strategy.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    6. Re:News for Facebook employees by Malc · · Score: 1

      It makes a nice change hearing something like this from the US, especially after that whole thing with Marissa Mayer. She did new parents no favours whatsoever. Americans generally have a shit deal when it comes to things like this, and it's a little funny saying that this is a global company policy for this reason.

    7. Re:News for Facebook employees by drolli · · Score: 1

      Not true. In a long-running project people who know the project inside out can be absent for four months and be very valuable directly when they come back.

      What you talk about is the bus factor. In a decently managed project nobody should be irreplaceable.

      An that is very different from the impact of loosing employees when they get parents. No company should be willing (or can afford) the opportunity to keep good people working on the companies project (as opposed to: people starting looking for a better job ehen they get parents)

    8. Re:News for Facebook employees by ranton · · Score: 1

      If you expect other companies to be like Facebook, you will be disappointed.

      Most companies in developed countries already give benefits similar to or exceeding what Facebook has just announced. It's only uncommon in the US.

      --
      -- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
    9. Re:News for Facebook employees by rsborg · · Score: 1

      Why would non-Facebook employees be interested in this at all?

      I have a friend who works at another silicon valley startup (same VC partners as Facebook) who recently adopted Netflx's unlimited vacation, and they may also be interested in doing the 4-month prenatal leave as well.

      Facebook could be a high-profile benefits leader here. As much as I don't like FB, I respect this move. At least Zuck is fair and consistent on this, unlike Meyer.

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    10. Re:News for Facebook employees by serviscope_minor · · Score: 2

      If you can take several months off, it just means the company doesn't really need you. ...

      Yes, but your comment is just plain wrong-headed, frankly. Small companies really, really need their employees. Departure of a key employee can sink a small company.

      A large company like facebook has people leaving ALL the time. People retire, quit, move, change jobs, get sick, die and so on continuously. Any company over about 10 people is going to have to deal with departing and absent employees on a regular basis. You absolutely cannot have key employees for a large and/or long running organisation.

      So yes, they don't "need" you, because they can't afford to need you: if the company is successful you'll probably leave long before it folds.

      Or, it means someone else is will have to work harder (with no extra pay) to make up for your absence

      Well, there's a sucker born every minute, I guess.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    11. Re:News for Facebook employees by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

      You seem to have a lot of pent-up aggression. If you stabbed a knife into your throat, you'll let out all that aggression, and you'll feel much, much better.

    12. Re:News for Facebook employees by Anonymous+Cow+Ward · · Score: 1

      An important point: this includes paternity leave, which is arguably pretty important if you want to decrease the lifetime earnings gap between men and women.

      --
      Examine even your most deeply held beliefs. Nobody is always right.
  3. Re:Bias? by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Informative

    Quite the other way around, most of Europe has extensive parental leave provisions by law. In a nutshell, for most of Europe, Zuck can take his 4 months and stick 'em.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  4. Less than the legal minimum by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

    This is less than the legal minimum in some countries. So some foreign Facebook employers already get more.

    --
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    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    1. Re:Less than the legal minimum by debrain · · Score: 1

      Just for ease of reference: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2...

  5. What about other life goals? by TheGavster · · Score: 2

    Allowing employees to take a big block off to get started on what may be the biggest achievement of their life is great, but what about for people whose aspiration is something other than being a parent? Even a guaranteed job after an unpaid sabbatical is a rare benefit. A generic "life goal" leave is, I would think, even cheaper to offer since the leave can be planned in advance to avoid crunch times (not that parents can't plan, but it's a rare one that seems to).

    --
    "Because Science" is one step from "Because old book". Try "Because of my experiment testing my falsifiable assertion".
    1. Re:What about other life goals? by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      It is obviously not an unpayed sabbatical but a oayed leave.
      In Europe the pay comes from the social insurances and/or the state.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
    2. Re:What about other life goals? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Allowing employees to take a big block off to get started on what may be the biggest achievement of their life is great, but what about for people whose aspiration is something other than being a parent?

      Depends, do you expect younger people to take care of stuff when you get old?
      If you do then perhaps it isn't entirely a bad idea that you have to spend some extra time working so that those who do decide to get children gets to raise them to not be horrible persons?

    3. Re:What about other life goals? by TheGavster · · Score: 1

      Let me turn that around: Should child rearing be restricted to those who can demonstrate that they won't raise them to be horrible? I know plenty of complete jerks who had a parent stay at home.

      In any case, if this leave is special because it appeals to a higher purpose, then there are many other higher purposes that I can think of that are equally deserving of paid leave. An engineer could take time off to educate underserved populations, or to apply their skills to solve basic problems in developing areas. Even the assistant manager at McDonald's has skills with logistics and sanitation that could be applied to standing up a soup kitchen.

      --
      "Because Science" is one step from "Because old book". Try "Because of my experiment testing my falsifiable assertion".
    4. Re:What about other life goals? by TheGavster · · Score: 1

      I used the unpaid example to draw a sharper contrast. A large block of time off is generally unavailable under any terms, except at companies like FB (or apparently everywhere in Europe) that explicitly call out child-rearing.

      Since you seem to know of the system: If European democracies have a state system for paying for the leave, did the debate include proposals to allow payments for other avocations?

      --
      "Because Science" is one step from "Because old book". Try "Because of my experiment testing my falsifiable assertion".
    5. Re:What about other life goals? by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Drilling down into those numbers might be more useful.

      Yeah, the world has 7.3 billion people, but most of them ain't uniformly spread. While China, Japan and India have a huge population density, other countries like Russia have a very low population density, and are struggling to have replacement rates. So people in the countries like Russia, US, Canada or even parts of Europe breeding is a good thing. It's bad if you're talking about Shanghai, Tokyo, Mumbai or Seoul.

      But I agree w/ your final point - just figure out how much leave to grant per employee, and then grant it, regardless of the employee's parental status.

    6. Re:What about other life goals? by Kjella · · Score: 1

      I used the unpaid example to draw a sharper contrast. A large block of time off is generally unavailable under any terms, except at companies like FB (or apparently everywhere in Europe) that explicitly call out child-rearing.

      Since you seem to know of the system: If European democracies have a state system for paying for the leave, did the debate include proposals to allow payments for other avocations?

      Europe is a big place and it probably varies to jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but I'd say generally no. I know that here in Norway there are a few other exceptions where the government may step in and pay like if you're giving care to someone seriously ill because you're a de facto replacement for public healthcare but for personal projects you are on your own. It has been suggested though that those who want to be slackers can be employed for a relatively short while, then go on unemployment benefits while making crap applications for jobs they won't get, flunk interviews and in general be unemployable while formally meeting the requirements. For the more serious people though I know some that have gotten 6-12 months unpaid leave to pursue some personal dream in the private sector, in the public sector it's even easier.

      I think this very much relates to the use of overtime and wage politics, in Europe you generally have to pay for every hour and to be honest you're usually paying overpaying unskilled/untrained people and underpaying your best people. Which means that if good employees don't get their leave and instead quit thinking their CV is good enough to get re-employed a year later you as an employer lose. They have to deal with similar leaves quite often for the 50% that's female and we also have a shorter paternity leave, so really there's no reason to be a dick about it. I guess it depends on why though, if you're starting a competing business then no.... the one I know who got a 12 month leave sailed around the world. Pretty bold move, but it was also fairly certain he'd be coming back. I think it takes a large company though, the smaller the harder it'll be.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    7. Re:What about other life goals? by Jack+Griffin · · Score: 1

      Many of us consider it borderline unethical to raise that population any further, until such time as we can deal with the number we have without destroying the joint.

      If two people have two children then it is not increasing.

    8. Re:What about other life goals? by Jiro · · Score: 1

      Japan has high population density, but notoriously does *not* meet replacement rate, especially since Japan doesn't have high birthrate immigrants to drive the ratio up.

    9. Re:What about other life goals? by avandesande · · Score: 1

      Because the economy and society will collapse without people having children?

      --
      love is just extroverted narcissism
    10. Re:What about other life goals? by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

      Sabbaticsls, payed or unpaied are a matter of contract between employer and employee.
      Parental leave is regulated by law. Most countries in the EU and surroundings have laws regarding that. Depending on country the payment is split between employer and the state/wellfare. I believe in germany it is 100% payed by the state.

      --
      Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  6. Military by MDMurphy · · Score: 1

    Reminds me of my time in the military. I'd been in 5 years and my housing was a barracks ( dormitory ) with shared bathroom. Someone just coming in with a spouse, kids or not, got a 2 or 3 bedroom house. My meals allowance was the ability to eat in a dining hall. Not on the base at mealtime? Sucks to be you, buy your own meal. Those with families got cash instead to eat what they wanted , when they wanted.

    Like family leave with no comparable benefit for those who don't produce children, it's being compensated based on what you "need" vs what you "earn". Maybe I'm biased not having kids, but I'd prefer it was based on what you earn. If it's going to be need-based, then at least broaden the acceptable needs. Sabbaticals, or an equivalent time off in smaller increments for volunteer work or other personal enrichment would seem a reasonable need.

  7. Re:Bias? by saigon_from_europe · · Score: 1

    You're not working, so why should your employer pay you?

    Now you're making it as if in Europe governments force companies to pay you while you are on a paternity leave. You get paid by health or social insurance.

    --
    No sig today.
  8. Re:Result: Non-breeders jumping ship by SydShamino · · Score: 1

    Your company ought to have a senior, experience employee that can move over and be productive on your team for four months. There are people who love to jump around and "save the day" on each project, and are actually good at it. At the end of the period, he or she can move on to the next group who just lost someone else.

    If your company doesn't do that, then yes, you should start looking for a job. But you should do so because you work for a horrible company, not because your company offers this specific benefit. (Your company probably does already offer sick leave and even short-term disability benefits, right? So this exact same scenario could happen because of other benefits. If that's a problem to you, find a new job now.)

    --
    It doesn't hurt to be nice.
  9. Re:Bias? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Unpaid leave is no leave.

  10. Re: Result: Non-breeders jumping ship by SydShamino · · Score: 1

    The insane part is that you think working that late is okay. I'd say you need a union to better negotiate your time, but you're probably a libertarian anti-union nutjob who will simultaneously defend your free-market right to work as damn much as you please while bemoaning the people who say "enough is enough, work-life balance matters more to me than finishing this tonight" and leave at a reasonable time. Hell, if half your company does it, then obviously management is okay with people leaving that early, so you are only staying because you want to and are just trolling for no reason.

    (If you start leaving early, and you are called on it, point out the other people that leave early. Just make sure to get it on a recording if they say it's because "they have children" and you'll be set for life if they fire you, since those anti-discrimination laws protect your non-child status as much as it protects their child status.)

    --
    It doesn't hurt to be nice.
  11. Re:Bias? by ganjadude · · Score: 1

    which causes those insurances to go up in cost for everyone, even those not having kids.

    --
    have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
  12. Re:Bias? by saigon_from_europe · · Score: 5, Informative

    which causes those insurances to go up in cost for everyone, even those not having kids.

    Exactly, but there is consensus in most of the societies that kids are a good thing.

    --
    No sig today.
  13. Sigh by ledow · · Score: 5, Informative

    Welcome to the 21st-fucking-century.

    UK Statutory Maternity / Paternity Pay:

    https://www.gov.uk/paternity-p...

    Gives up to 52 weeks paid leave for one/either/both parents (shared among them), including in case of stillborn, including for adoption, legally allowing you to build up holiday, get rises and return to work while it goes on.

    Sure, it won't necessarily be at full-pay-rates but this is the fucking bare, legal, statutory MINIMUM that you're required to give by even being an employer in the UK

    So let's not shout about how great Facebook are for letting you spend more than a fucking month with your newborn child.

    The US really need to get out more and look at what other countries consider normal and/or moral.

    1. Re:Sigh by Harlequin80 · · Score: 2

      Direct copy from wikipedia. Kinda calls out your whole 1/2 the pay bullshit argument.

      From the 1930s up until 1980, the average American income (after taxes and inflation) tripled,[12] which translated into higher living standards for the American population.[13][14][15][16][17][18][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] Between 1949 and 1969, real median family income grew by 99.3%.[32] From 1946 to 1978, the standard of living for the average family more than doubled.[33]

      Average family income (in real terms) more than doubled from 1945 up until the 1970s, while unemployment steadily fell until it reached 4% in the Sixties.[34] Between 1949-50 and 1965–66, median family income (in constant 2009 dollars) rose from $25,814 to $43,614,[35] and from 1947 to 1960, consumer spending went up by a full 60%, and for the first time, as noted by Mary P. Ryan, "the majority of Americans would enjoy something called discretionary income, earnings that were secure and substantial enough to permit them to enter sectors of the marketplace that were once reserved for the affluent."[36]

    2. Re:Sigh by Malc · · Score: 1

      From the Government source you linked to:

      The statutory weekly rate of Paternity Pay and Additional Paternity Pay is £139.58, or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).

      This a pittance, especially for those of us who live in London. We couldn't afford to live off this if I wanted to take off more than the two weeks that I'd get at full pay. This whole 52 weeks paid leave is BS as far as I can tell, but made some good publicity for the last government.

    3. Re:Sigh by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      This a pittance, especially for those of us who live in London

      There's a solution to that. At least two solutions, actually. Personally, I'd go for the thermonuclear revocation of the last millennium of planning consents, but some people might consider London to have some features worth not being a smoking hole in the ground.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  14. Re:Bias? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    which causes those insurances to go up in cost for everyone, even those not having kids.

    That's what's known as being pro-life, unlike some Americans, who think "pro-life" means terrorist attacks on Planned Parenthood clinics and shooting cops.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  15. Re:Bias? by ganjadude · · Score: 1

    i hope you are not referring to the incident the other day as it seems like it was coincidence that he ended up there (story is looking more like he hit a bank and ended up at PP, being that no one from PP was actually hurt....)

    my costs should not rise based on the decisions of others. Risk share all you want between others having kids, im not, so keep me out of it

    --
    have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
  16. Leaving work: CH example by DrYak · · Score: 1

    which causes those insurances to go up in cost for everyone, even those not having kids.

    In some countries - like Switzerland - the same social insurance is paying other reasons to leave work:
    - military duty (it's one of the last country to have compulsory military service - young men are forced by law to leave work ~1 month each year during ~10 years. insurance covers the salary during this time)
    - alternatives to military duty
    - some other public service (e.g.: some trainings from the national sport organisation)

    In that perspective, raising kids is seen by the current law as one of the different form of duties that a citizen can accomplish for the greater good of the nation and which deserves that the salary lost during that time gets partially re-imbursed.

    PS:
    Things to keep in mind:
    - Switzerland, like most developed countries and specially like most European countries, has a fertility rate lower than the critical 2.1 (currently it's around 1.5 child per couple). It currently manage not to have its population collapse thanks to immigration. So helping parent raise children is actually *VERY MUCH NEEDED* in order to encourage the fertility rate and avoid the population drop. That's why nearly all of European countries (like my Swiss example, but also lots of other, e.g.: Germany) have paid parental leave.
    - Switzerland is a direct democracy. Law get voted by the general population (and not by some lobby in some "pseudo-representative" congregation like the US). Thus the fact that this law was voted in means that *the greatest part of the population actually thinks it's a good idea*. When other posters say "there is consensus in most of the societies that kids are a good thing", in the particular case of Switzerland this consensus among the population has been clearly demonstrated during voting.
    Your idea that it's a bad thing that social insurance help pay for kids IS NOT shared among the biggest part of a whole country which effectively voted democratically such law into power.

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
  17. High-tech workers not taking parental leave? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Many high-tech workers, however, do not take advantage of such benefits for fear of falling behind at work or missing out on promotions.

    The final item in the summary and from TFA caught my attention. Reuters was absent of details on a study proving this statement. The best thing I could find was a a Harvard Business Review article here:
    https://hbr.org/2015/11/3-ways-tech-companies-are-offering-parental-leave

    Linking to a study here:
    http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com...

    With highly questionable methods - age, gender, socio-economic background, etc. etc. bias anybody?

    Volunteers (N = 371, 131 men) participated in exchange for partial fulfillment of their Introductory Psychology research requirement. Of these, 50% were White, 30% were Asian, 4% were Black, 6% were Hispanic, and 10% reported another ethnic identity. The design of the experiment was a 2 (target race: Black, White) × 4 (family leave condition: childcare, parental care, two controls) × 2 (participant gender) between-participants factorial. We used two control targets; one who asked a HR officer for more hours (rather than time off), and one who merely inquired about his employee benefits. We included the latter control condition because it was possible that asking for more hours would be viewed as particularly masculine (e.g., ambitious). However, preliminary analyses showed no significant differences between the two control groups; they were therefore collapsed.

    If anybody can find other research surrounding this topic - I'd love to see it. The "best" article I could find was one from Wired:
    http://www.wired.com/2015/08/t...

    Effectively commenting its about the culture surrounding parental leave at a company - not the actual company policy itself. Netflix policy - unlimited vacation - but highly frowned upon if you take it. Where I'm at - if you have a child - we COVER YOU and there is NO penalty to your career for taking leave. The only email you send out better have pictures of your newborn - that's it. Anything else we'll frown at you for trying to work while you are on parental leave. Same goes for vacation.

    Disclaimer: I work in a Tech Hub outside Silicon Valley. If this truly is representative of the culture of Silicon Valley, I really feel sorry for the folks working out there.

  18. Re:Bias? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

    as it seems like it was coincidence that he ended up there (story is looking more like he hit a bank and ended up at PP, being that no one from PP was actually hurt....)

    So when the police said that the shooter mentioned "baby parts" it was because he was at the local bank trying to withdraw baby parts?

    And the propane tanks he carried into the Planned Parenthood were going to be used for his camp stove?

    Jesus, man. Will you really twist yourself into a pretzel rationalizing terrorism just because you share the same ideology as the perpetrator?

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  19. Re:Bias? by ganjadude · · Score: 1

    insulting people for having different opinions than you?

    how very friendly of you....

    --
    have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
  20. Re: Bias? by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    He said that he didn't think anti abortion was the motive. However wrong he may have been debating motive != supporting actions.

    The question is, why does he choose to debate the motive of a terrorist? Is he as charitable when it comes to terrorism committed by radical muslims?

    You know the answer already.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  21. Re:Bias? by ganjadude · · Score: 1

    i share nothing with this person in the slightest lol. im not rationalizing anything this man should fry for what he did regardless of where or why he did it

    --
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  22. In Germany you have 14 months by law by ynnutvar · · Score: 2

    In Germany parents have to take 14 months in the first three years, and one parents can take 12 months maximum, so both have to stay home for at least two months: payed by the state, of course.

    1. Re:In Germany you have 14 months by law by Citizen+of+Earth · · Score: 1

      So, just have a kid every year and live on the dole.

    2. Re:In Germany you have 14 months by law by rsborg · · Score: 1

      So, just have a kid every year and live on the dole.

      There is this little, teensy side effect of actually having the kids and having to take care of them... I take it you are not a parent. After having a few, you might understand that the first year is likely not the most difficult - especially with multiple kids.

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  23. Re:Bias? by unixisc · · Score: 2

    Precisely!!! How many can afford to take 4 months or so of time off? Usually, the best they can do is just take as much paid leave as accumulated to that point, and use it.

  24. Re: As a Facebook employee... by unixisc · · Score: 1

    They already get vacation time off while single people aren't allowed to take time off.

    Solution - the single people should pretend to be in 'gay marriages' w/ other single people for employment purposes, while living normal single lives. That way, they can claim time off for anything, such as pretend adoptions.

  25. Re: Bias? by ganjadude · · Score: 1

    I was simply posting what I had read about the case so far

    PP states that no one hurt was an employee or patient.

    media reports say that an issue took place next door or across the street before he barricaded himself inside.

    Not sure why you are bringing in things that have nothing to do with the case at hand. I only like to discuss single issues at a time, not get all muddied by trying to link 40 different events that have no relation to each other. When an incident happens it should be discussed as such

    --
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  26. Re:Bias? by jrumney · · Score: 1

    Quite ironic, given that Facebook's wonderful generosity doesn't even meet the legal minimum in many European countries.

  27. Re: Bias? by Karlt1 · · Score: 1

    Since all social programs like social security are pay as you go, who do you think is going to be working and funding Social Security and Medicare when you stop working?

  28. Re: Bias? by ganjadude · · Score: 1

    you think there will be social security when we retire? (im under 30) doubt it

    --
    have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
  29. Re: Bias? by rsborg · · Score: 2

    you think there will be social security when we retire? (im under 30) doubt it

    Social Security trust fund is solvent till ~2035 given current input percentages and projected workforce makeup .

    What's likely is that GOP and corporate-licking Dems will both agree to fuck you over in the meanwhile and do something shitty like raise retirement age, or twist verbiage to deny COLA despite constant hikes in non-core inflation rate (why would energy - read gas - and healthcare costs not be "core inflation"?).

    So you may be right, you may not have a meaningful Social Security when you retire. But I bet it'll be there.

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  30. Re:Bias? by davester666 · · Score: 1

    and of course, part-time and/or contract staff, such as janitors, kitchen helpers, etc, can suck the Zuck as well.

    --
    Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
  31. Re:Bias? by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

    my costs should not rise based on the decisions of others

    Tough, and PS, welcome to sharing a planet with other humans. If you ever interact with another human ever, even indirectly[*] then your costs are going to be affected by decisions other people make. That is completely unavoidable.

    [*] I mean REALLY indirectly. If someone comes and cuts down the trees near your cave for firewood, your costs have gone up as you're going to have to travel further to make wood. I say cave because it would be quite hard to live in other kinds of shelter without making use of anything humans have ever produced. I mean if you rely on metal tools to cut down trees for wood, your costs could be increased by a decision someone makes to increase the price of steel.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.
  32. Re:Bias? by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

    Having any insurance at all is paying for the decisions of others. Or being paid by others for your decisions.

  33. Re:Bias? by kaur · · Score: 1

    Parental leave at Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
    Table of European countries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    I am from Estonia. We have 20 + 62 weeks (1.5 years) of paternal leave, fully paid by the state to the equivalent of your income before the birth of the child. There are some discussions about the fairness of this systems - why should parents with higher income be paid more for getting a child? However, nobody questions the system itself - long parental leaves are good for the society, period.

  34. Re: Result: Non-breeders jumping ship by pnutjam · · Score: 1

    Yes, your right. Who told you.

    actually, your a dumbass.

  35. Re:As a Facebook employee... by minogully · · Score: 1, Redundant

    these people that don't want to work.

    In Canada, we get a whole year off after a child is born. The majority of this time can be split between the mother and father. For my first child, I didn't take any time. But for my second, I took 5 months.

    I can assure you that this 5 month period was more difficult than "working". Anyone who thinks that people who are staying at home to parent babies and/or toddlers is not "working" hasn't truly experienced it. Perhaps they don't have kids, perhaps their spouse/partner does all/most of the work, or perhaps they're just not putting in the effort required to be a good parent, but either way they haven't truly experienced it.

    After the first week, I was looking forward to going back to work for a "vacation" from the crazy amount of work I had at home.

  36. Re:Bias? by lsatenstein · · Score: 1

    Quite the other way around, most of Europe has extensive parental leave provisions by law. In a nutshell, for most of Europe, Zuck can take his 4 months and stick 'em.

    Ditto for Canada's Quebec province.

    --
    Leslie Satenstein Montreal Quebec Canada
  37. Re:Bias? by angel'o'sphere · · Score: 1

    So I point out that you are an anti social asshole, and you feel insulted?
    Did I hit a nerve?

    --
    Cost free eBook I read (by iBook/Kobo/Amazon/ObookO/Gutenberg etc.): "The Green Odyssey" by Philip Jose Farmer.
  38. Re:Bias? by Anonymous+Cow+Ward · · Score: 1

    There is no government-mandated parental leave on a federal level in the US. However, many companies offer at least some amount of maternity leave to salaried employees. Many hourly employees don't have it, and the amount of leave available can vary greatly by company.

    --
    Examine even your most deeply held beliefs. Nobody is always right.
  39. Re:Bias? by Anonymous+Cow+Ward · · Score: 1

    Apparently, employer liability sometimes exists for paternity leave in Europe. Maternity leave appears to be entirely through social insurance, while paternity leave (in addition to being much shorter) also has a higher percentage of funding directly from the employer. Some of that might be covered by outside health insurance, I'm not sure.

    --
    Examine even your most deeply held beliefs. Nobody is always right.