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Life is about to get a lot better for new parents who work for American Express.
The financial-services giant on Monday announced all of its U.S.-based regular full-time and part-time employees will be eligible for 20 weeks of paid parental leave starting in 2017 — as well as a bevy of enhanced employee benefits for fertility, surrogacy and adoption.
The boost is a huge change: Until now, the company offered primary caregivers six weeks of paid parental leave benefits and two weeks for secondary caregivers.
American Express said the move is aimed at promoting a family-friendly culture as well as improving overall well-being among the company’s 21,000 U.S. employees.
“Our goal is to build a culture of health through our leadership, policies and work environment,” says David Kasiarz, senior vice president of global total rewards and learning at American Express, adding that the enhanced benefits are a “win-win” both for employees and for the company as a whole. “We see parental leave as an essential component of this and have made it a priority to support both our employees and their families.”
The new paid parental leave policy — beginning Jan. 1 — doesn’t just cover new moms. It’s available to both women and men welcoming a child through...