Technology organisation Microsoft has launched a paid family caregiver benefit for its employees worldwide.
The new benefit allows employees to take up to four weeks of fully-paid leave in order to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition.
Microsoft launched the family caregiver leave for its US employees on 27 June 2017. The benefit has been rolled out in 22 of the countries in which the organisation operates so far, and staff in the remaining countries will receive access to the leave arrangement over the coming months.
Kathleen Hogan, chief people officer and executive vice-president of human resources at Microsoft, said: “This important new benefit represents a significant milestone in our effort to build a culture of diversity and inclusion, and it demonstrates our deep commitment to employee wellbeing and care, and respect for the full career journey.
“I've often said that life happens when you're working. And it's true. We will all face difficult times that bleed over into work, no one is immune. As a global employer, we know it’s up to us to continually evaluate the needs of our workforce and provide market-leading benefits and programmes to support our employees, at work and home.”
