Increasingly, the world in which we live in is changing. Fuelled in part by the inexorable rise of technology, the likes of the nuclear family are slowly disappearing. So too is the traditional 9-5 work day, with employees increasingly choosing to work at home, or taking advantage of the benefits offered by the modern workplace.
As in any period of constant change however, certain things once taken for granted must be fought for once more, and most often this comes in the form of worker’s rights. Things such as maternity leave, the bugbear of many an unsympathetic office manager, and holiday allowance are often the first to come under fire. This is not so much the case at Microsoft however, as the firm has stated in an official blog post.
Currently, the firm has opted to extend parental leave, holiday and retirement benefits for employees, as a reward for all of their hard work through what has been quite a difficult period. Mothers can now take up to 20 weeks of fully paid maternity leave, in addition to a short-term disability leave to cope with the after-effects of the birth process.
The number of paid holiday days has been increased to 12, and the 401k match has been increased to 50% of all regular deferrals.
These changes are only currently applicable to employees in the USA, however Microsoft is currently reviewing the status of its worker’s rights across the globe, and further improvements to the general situation are expected to follow. In a period of particular importance for the firm, and following an enormous number of layoffs, to see that those remaining are seeing some improvements in their treatment bodes well for things to come.
Do you think employees should see a further increase in their benefits? Let us know in the comments below.
