One of the most important ways that we as a company live by our values is by ensuring the well-being of our employees.
Today, we proudly announce our new paid family leave benefit. The policy provides U.S. corporate and retail benefits-eligible employees with up to eight weeks of paid time off per year to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition. An immediate family member includes a child, spouse/domestic partner and parent.
The new policy extends the company’s commitment to building a best-in-class workplace that supports well-being and enables our employees to take care of themselves and their family members in the moments they need it most. In 2016, we launched our paid parental leave program, providing eight weeks of paid time off to welcome or care for a new child. We also support the FAMILY Act, a federal paid leave bill that would make it possible for working people to take paid time off to take care of themselves and their loved ones under job protection guarantees, no matter in what state they live or who they work for.
“We applaud Levi Strauss & Co.’s expansion of its industry-leading paid parental leave policy to include paid family leave for both its corporate and benefits-eligible hourly workers,” said Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
According to a Pew Research Center study, more than one in 10 U.S. adults are caring for an aging parent or immediate family member at the same time they are raising their own children. This so-called “sandwich generation” is growing due to an increased aging population, greater prevalence of chronic diseases and geographically dispersed families. The National Business Group on Health reports that 88 percent of adult caregivers correlate the additional responsibility of tending to a sick family member with a negative impact on their own health, and44 percent experience financial strain.
“Chip and his leadership team understand that when working people can take the time they need to care for a loved one – whether it’s an aging family member or a new child – it’s good for business, workers and our economy,” Debra said.
