Netflix Offers Full Year of Paid Leave to Parents Who Want It

If you’re a new mom or dad, it’s a really good time to work for Netflix. 

The company has announced that new parents — mothers and fathers — can take an unlimited amount of time off during the first year of their child’s birth or adoption.

During their leave, parents will continue to receive full salary, and when they return, they can choose to return full-time, part-time, or temporarily.

In the blog post that announced the new policy, Chief Talent Officer Tawni Cranz explains that the move is meant to attract and retain top talent in Silicon Valley. And given the success of the company’s runaway television hits like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards, that’s likely a stronger imperative than ever.

What will the decision mean for other employers? They’ll likely be encouraged to improve their own parental leave policy, or offer more competitive benefits in other areas. But when companies make bold moves to improve lives of their employees, not everyone reacts perfectly kindly.

Take for example, Dan Price’s move to offer all his employees a base salary of $70,000. Four months after the decision, many are still calling Price naive and a publicity stunt man. Although the fallout from Netflix’s move isn’t likely to be that harsh.

Based on comments to the announcement, it might be good for their business from the consumer side as well: