New England law firm Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC has adopted a paid parental leave policy that will give new parents up to 12 weeks off.
The policy, which went into effect June 19, will be combined with the firm’s short-term disability to provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave to mothers of newborn children and up to six weeks of leave to fathers and partners of birth mothers; parents of adopted children aged 16 and younger can also apply for six weeks of paid leave.
“A paid family leave policy is the right thing to do for our employees and their young children, and makes sense for our business,” says Peter Kunin, deputy managing partner at DRM. “It is well known that a parent’s ability to personally care for their children, especially newborns, is critical to the
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To be eligible for the paid parental leave, new parents must be employed with the firm, part-time or full-time, for at least a consecutive year. Combining several benefits, full-time employees will receive up to 100% of regular, straight-time weekly pay, while part-time employees will be paid on a pro-rated basis, according to the firm.
The paid parental leave policy is an addition to the firm’s benefits package, which includes a 50% 401(k) employer match; a 10% contribution of every employee’s annual compensation to a profit sharing plan; medical, dental, life and disability insurance; and access to a medical savings account, wellness benefits, employee assistance program and
“Parents should not have to choose between spending time with their new baby and economic security,” Kunin says. “And by giving our employees time to settle in to life as a new family, our employees are better able to focus on the needs of our clients with the level of intensity that the job demands.”
