Although many of us take it for granted, paid leave is far from a human right in many parts of the world. Though most of us have no power to affect this state of affairs, others do, such as Microsoft. Indeed, back in March, the tech giant saw fit to enforce certain standards, most notably demanding that contract workers receive paid leave.
Now, at last, some of these changes are beginning to come into effect. As reported by GeekWire, Lionbridge Technologies has become the first to offer its workers 15 days of paid leave a year, the absolute minimum required by Microsoft. The proposal will still need to be approved by the workers’ union before coming into effect, however it represents a massive increase on the zero paid days off previously received.
When Microsoft first issued the demand, it gave a year for its suppliers to comply, recognizing that the new and so far unique policy could increase costs.
Do you think more ought to be done to ensure the rights of those working as contractors for large firms? Let us know in the comments below.
Further reading: Microsoft
