Most of corporate America has been slow to show a modicum of respect for their employees’ needs when starting a family. There are bright spots for sure; but few and far between. Under a new policy, Anheuser-Busch InBev—a Belgium-based company— will be boosting its employees primary caregivers’ time off.
Under the new policy, primary caregivers, who may or may not be the mother, will receive a minimum of 16 weeks of time off at full pay. Secondary caregivers will receive a minimum of two weeks off at full pay. This policy is inclusive of natural births, adoption, and surrogacy.
"We recognize that families come in different shapes, sizes, and format, and we've tried to be as inclusive as possible in this policy," David Almeida, AB InBev's Chief People Officer, told Business Insider.
According to Business Insider, Anheuser-Busch InBev employs almost 200,000 people across 52 countries. The new announcement is a retooling of the language and expectations for new parents.
Previously, the Leuven, Belgium-based company's parental leave policy included language about the "birth parent" rather than the "primary caregiver," as it does now. The birth parent could previously have eight weeks of maternity leave along with eight weeks of parental bonding leave for a total of 16 weeks.
Under the old policy, adoptive parents or fathers who chose to be the primary caregivers were not be able to take 16 weeks of paid leave. Now they can.
The importance of happy workers with healthy families does not change—it is always a premium. And even our country’s institutions, like the Navy, have recognized the need to offer people more than simply a paycheck. Good step forward.