If you’re thinking of having kids or you’ve already got a family, finding the best companies for working parents is likely the biggest priority in your job search. The reason I know this is because I’m a mom myself and know how important it is to work for a company that offers flexibility and a family-friendly work environment.
When I had my first child, I remember what my husband had to go through to make sure he was covered for a meager two weeks of paid paternal leave. The amount of phone calls he had to make to ensure all the i’s and t’s were dotted and crossed is truly mind-boggling. Even in my sleep-deprived, zombie-like state, I remember thinking, this is insane. It should not be like this.
So I set off on a quest to find the best companies for working parents, doing extensive research to make sure the organizations on my list don’t just talk the talk, so to speak. Read on to learn about the top 10 family-friendly companies that offer flexible work arrangements and/or generous parental leave.
Below are the top best companies for working parents listed in no particular order:
#1: Hubspot
Hubspot made my list of best companies for working parents because it boasts one whole week of paid vacation in July in addition to offering employees unlimited vacation time. If you ask me, this is a company that has its priorities straight! They also offer three flexible work options, including work-from-home, in-office, or hybrid. In addition, HubSpot offers generous parental paid leave, along with additional family support.
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#2: Johnson & Johnson
Johnson and Johnson offers all employees—maternal, paternal, adoptive, surrogacy-assisted or foster parents—twelve weeks of paid leave that can be taken during the first year of a new child’s arrival into their family. This is pretty amazing!
Another great benefit is that in addition to bereavement leave, Johnson & Johnson also grants all employees 10 days annually to care for an immediate family member with a critical illness or injury.
Not only that, Johnson & Johnson also has a designated Child Development Center for its employees. There are five childcare centers across company campuses in the U.S., offering programs from infancy through kindergarten at a subsidized cost for employees. For U.S. employees who work remotely or in offices where on-site centers are not available, the company provides a discount with certain childcare providers.
#3: Salesforce
Salesforce offers comprehensive family benefits. Primary caregivers can take 26 weeks of paid time off.
Secondary caregivers can take 12 weeks of paid time off. The company also offers a gradual return-to-work schedule which allows employees to work four days per week for four weeks after taking parental leave.
Regarding adoption and surrogacy, all U.S. Salesforce employees and their covered spouse or domestic partner are eligible to get reimbursed up to $40,000 for eligible expenses related to surrogacy or adoption of a child.
#4: Verizon
Verizon made my list of best companies for working parents because of their commitment to employee happiness and well-being. That includes 8 weeks of paid parental leave. They also offer tuition reimbursement, as well as additional family assistance including reimbursement for adoption. Flexible work is also a priority for Verizon. Employees have a choice of working remotely, on-site, or hybrid.
#5: Bank of America
I was impressed with the comprehensiveness of Bank of America’s support of its employees. For example, they offer 16 weeks of paid parental leave, as well as personal, medical, and military leave. Bank of America also offers extensive support and services for employees with cancer, employees transitioning or exploring gender identity in the workplace, survivor support for managers, employees and retirees who experience the loss of a loved one. They also offer support for employees who are personally impacted by events like natural disasters, violence or house fires.
#6: Synchrony
Synchrony offers a pretty extensive amount of support and benefits for employees who plan to have or have children. For example, they offer 12 weeks of paid parental leave, along with backup care for kids or elderly family members. They also offer tuition reimbursement as well as up to $9,000 of skills certification reimbursement (not too shabby)!
#7: Facebook (Meta)
Facebook (Meta) made my list of best companies for working parents because of their incredibly generous paid parental leave policies. For example, they give 6-8 weeks of paid maternity leave as well as 4 months of paid parental leave – that’s pretty amazing!
They also offer up to 20 days of paid bereveavement and emergency leave, along with a generous 21 days of paid time off per year.
#8: Zoom
What I found interesting (as well as awesome) about Zoom is that they offer 16 weeks of paid parental leave (including adoptions and foster placements) to both salaried and hourly/contract employees after six months of employment.
#9: Intel
Intel has a great reputation for its flexible work options for employees. They also offer a really nice variety of benefits for parents, including fertility and adoption benefits, paid parental leave, parent reintegration working options (boo-yeah!), and my favorite, on-site nursing rooms. Intel also offers resources and financial assistance for both childcare and eldercare programs.
#10: Atlassian
It’s always a good sign when a company has a place on their website that is dedicated to describing its work/life balance policies and benefits. That’s definitely the case for Atlassian and why it made my list of best companies for working parents. They offer 26 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents and 20 weeks of paid parental leave for non-birthing parents. Atlassian also offers flexible work arrangements so that its employees can work in ways that work for them (see what I did there?!).
In conclusion
I hope my list of best companies for working parents provided you with some good preliminary information about what decent parental benefits look like and what to look out for and negotiate before signing a contract if you’re shopping for a new job!
Frequently asked questions
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What are some of the best companies for working parents?
Some of the best companies for working parents include Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. These companies prioritize work-life balance, offer family-friendly policies and benefits, and have supportive environments for working parents.
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What types of family-friendly policies do companies for working parents usually offer?
Companies for working parents often offer a range of family-friendly policies. These may include flexible work hours, remote work options, paid parental leave, on-site childcare facilities, breastfeeding support, and employee resource groups for working parents.
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How can you find the best companies for moms returning to work?
Some excellent websites for moms returning to work include Path Forward which offers returnships (internships for adults) which integrate parents back into the workforce. Ellevate and ReacHIRE also focus on providing returning moms and parents with mentorship, community support, and other resources to make re-entering smooth and painless.
