These Were Some of the Huge Shifts in Parental-Leave Policies in 2015

Microsoft announced that it was expanding its parental-leave policies in August to give new moms and dads a bit more time at home before returning to the office. The new policy went into effect on Nov. 1, expanding the existing policy to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave on top of an additional eight weeks for moms, meaning 20 weeks of paid maternity leave in total. The 12 weeks of parental leave can be taken either all at once or in pieces, and employees are allowed to ease themselves back into work on a half-time basis.