Microsoft Extends Parental Leave Policies

Microsoft Corp. announced an extension of its parental leave policy Wednesday, extending it to 12 weeks with full pay for mothers and fathers. For birth mothers, this means they can take 20 weeks of leave with full pay, as they already received eight weeks of maternity disability leave. Previously, other parents received four weeks paid and eight weeks unpaid. The changes will be effective Nov. 1. The announcement comes a day after Netflix announced an unlimited paternity and maternity leave policy for the first year after the child's birth. The company said it will also add Martin Luther King Day and President's Day as holidays starting in 2016.