Mark Zuckerberg to take 2 months paternity leave when baby arrives

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said he is planning to take two months of paternity leave when his daughter is born, citing studies that show children and families are better off when working parents can take time away from their jobs to spend it with their newborns.

“This is a very personal decision,” he said in a post on Facebook. “Every day things are getting a little more real for us, and we’re excited to start this next stage in our lives.”

Facebook currently offers its employees four months’ leave. Mr Zuckerberg is making his choice public as Silicon Valley companies work to make their workplace benefits’ policies more appealing. Earlier this year, Netflix said new parents can be away from the office as many days as they want during the first year after their child’s birth.

Only 12 per cent of US private-sector employees have access to any paid family leave through their jobs, according to the US Department of Labor. The US is the only nation in the developed world that doesn’t mandate maternity leave with pay. BLOOMBERG