There have been numerous changes to Twitter after Musk took over as its Chief Executive. Some of these might have worked in favor of the blue bird company but quite a lot of them have done more harm than good. Elon, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter is a careful person when it comes to using company money. While some of the billionaire’s moves have had an overall positive effect on the company’s fund, there are some which have adversely effected the well being of their employees. After Musk took over Twitter, he made the headlines after firing thousands of employees. There have been several lawsuits filed against the company which claim that they have not stood up to the company’s employment termination policies.
Recently, Twitter has taken yet another step that would surely be faced with a lot of backlash from everyone including Twitter employees. There have been several media reports which claim to have come across a harsh truth after accessing internal company records. The reports revealed that the Tesla CEO would be changing the parental leave policies of the company. The previously 20 weeks long paid parental leave could now be as less as just 2 weeks.
Credits: Adda 247
Parental Leaves and why companies offer them:
Before we dive into Twitter’s new policy, it is important to understand what the term means and how it could have a significant impact on employee well being. A parental leave is a span of a few weeks or months during which employee’s get salary benefits but do not have to work. Such a leave is granted if an employee has recently become a parent.
Most companies provide parental leave options for their employees as these are an important step to support employees. Such benefits also promote work-life balance and encourage the employees to continue with their jobs even after they become parents. These leaves offer companies a way to attract and retain talent, and to support employees during such a significant life event. Reducing the parental leave span by such a massive duration is sure to negatively impact employees who would prefer spending more time to take care of their newly born.
Twitter’s Parental Leave Policy: Before and After –
Before:
Ever since the company’s inception in 2006, they were known for providing one of the best employee benefits in the industry until recently. The company used to provide 20 weeks of paid parental leave for all employees regardless of gender. The policy was also inclusive of adoptive parents. The company allowed employees to take 20 weeks off all at once or spread out their leaves over the first year of their child’s birth. Moreover, Twitter also offered additional reimbursement benefits to employees for adoption-related expenses.
Moreover, Twitter’s parental leave policy has a positive impact on gender equality. It offers equal parental leave benefits to all employees and is therefore closing the gender gap in traditional workspaces.
After:
As per reports, Twitter will reduce the duration of the parental leave from 20 weeks to just 2 weeks more than what a state has mandated. This would mean that someone who lives in a state which does not require corporations to give employees a parental leave will have just 2 weeks to get things together after the birth of their newly born. The employees will face such problems in as many as 12 of the states.
This has led to widespread outlash from the internet and ex-employees of the company. It is sure to also anger the employees who are currently working at the firm. Although, this might save the firm some of its expenses, it will definitely harm their reputation and employee satisfaction. It is also expected that a number of Twitter employees might leave their jobs when such situations arise in their households.
