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The US is the only developed country without a federally mandated parental leave policy. So, US companies need to create their own policies to support employees who grow their families.

However, only one in three US employers offers paid maternity leave beyond the amount required by law. And, only 29% of companies offer paternity leave. Until paid parental leave is the norm, companies that offerit will have a recruiting advantage.

• Over 68% of women said a company’s parental leave policy was important to them when considering whether to accept an offer (Fairygodboss).  
• 69% of dads would be willing to switch jobs if it meant they could be more involved in caring for their newborn child. (Promundo and Dove Men+Care study)

Candidates care about parental leave! So, if you offer it, you need to promote it. But, don’t just talk about the policy. Tell employee stories to illustrate the impact of your program.

Here are 3 companies who used employee stories to show the importance of their progressive paid leave programs.

Van Metre Companies

This video from Van Metre Companies is one of our favorite recruitment marketing videos of the year. It accomplishes a lot in 45 seconds: James Madigan shows the viewer the reality of life with a newborn. He connects for the candidate that Van Metre doesn’t only care about their employees, but they care about their families too. Because he was treated so well during an important time in his life, James is even more committed to his company.

And just like that, you’re agreeing with James that Van Metre is a good company to work for.

Capital Group

“We had been approved to adopt two kids. How hard could it possibly be?”

This video from The Capital Group shows how important paid leave was to Heather and her family, who chose to adopt children from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Etsy

In 2016, Etsy changed its parental leave to 26 weeks paid time off. This video follows four Etsy employees and parents and how each benefitted as a result of this policy change.

We’re ready for the day when it’s no longer a competitive advantage to have paid family leave benefits. Until then, thank you to companies like Van Metre Companies, Capital Group and Etsy that are getting us closer to normalizing this benefit.

More ways to share your company’s unique culture

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