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Ford Adds 10 Days Maternity, Paternity Leave to Employee Health Plan

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Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company announced this week that it will be expanding the number of days that can be taken off by mothers of newborn or newly-adopted children by an additional 10 days, as well as introducing 10 days paid paternity leave as part of its new health plan.

As part of the revised health plans, mothers will be permitted to take an extra 10 days of paid leave within a year of a birth or adoption, or they can choose to add 10 days onto the six-to-eight-week maternity leave allowance. At the same time, fathers will also be given 10 days of paid leave during the first year of parenthood.

Ford Motor Company told Automotive News that the additional benefits for mothers and fathers are a part of its plant to shift its health plan “to a more holistic approach focused on individual well-being.” As part of this change, Ford will be adding ergonomic stations and providing treadmill desks for employees as part of its Dearborn World Headquarters revamp.

Along these same lines, the automaker will on Friday host yoga classes on the lawn of its Dearborn Glass House campus with employee attendance estimated to be in the hundreds. The event, put on in partnership with Wanderlust, will also include stress-relieving activities including meditation and an oxygen bar.

A Pew Research Center study from earlier this year found that 69% of Americans believe that fathers should receive paid leave upon the birth or adoption of a child. It was also shown that new fathers tend to take an average of one week off to accommodate the birth or adoption, and that about half find one week of leave to be less than they feel they need or want.

News Sources: Automotive News (subscription required), USA Today