When a company's younger brood of employees has convinced the organization regarding an unfair policy, that would mean change is evident. Coca-Cola is moving forward with a new policy that affects new parents in the company.
New parents at Coca-Cola will now get six weeks paid time off when their babies arrive into the world, as reported by the Huffington Post. Millenials have influenced the company into considering alternative policies that promote gender equality and human interests. On Monday, Coke announced that starting January, all new parents in the company which includes the fathers, foster parents and adoptive parents, will be entitled to six weeks leave. Previously, the company only allowed a duration of six to eight weeks paid leave for female employees that have just given birth. The new benefit is not available to unionized Coke workers. Overall 40,000 employees are eligible, out of 60,000 in the U.S.
The company went to Twitter to announce the new policy as well. Using their social media handle @CocaColaCo, they posted: "Announcing our new Paid Parental Leave Policy for ALL U.S. based non-bargaining associates."
The company's hope for this new change will also bring gender bias to rest at work. 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," says Ceree Eberly, Coke's chief people officer.
Now, the company will begin to wonder how many new fathers in the company will take their six weeks leave. Whatever the case, this is a bold and positive move for the company.
"In addition to new policies, businesses must embrace inclusive cultures in which men and women know that they actually can take the leave and not be punished for it," said Josh Levs, the author of "All In", a book about fatherhood and the workplace. "Sadly, the American workplace is still plagued by stigmas."
