HONG KONG: Matching the offer by Standard Chartered Bank, mothers at Microsoft Hong Kong will enjoy 20 weeks of maternity leave. The technology giant announced yesterday a number of enhancements to its family leave policies. Paternity leave was extended from three days to six weeks. There are also six weeks for adoption leave and four weeks of family caregiver leave to support employees who are trying to bond with new members of the family.
Both male and female colleagues are the potential beneficiaries of the new leave policies. They can take paid time off to take care their new family members by birth or adoption. Maria Hui, director HR at Microsoft Hong Kong believes that the enhanced paid leave options will help drive a culture that fosters greater inclusivity, while providing support to teams who cover for on-leave colleagues. “The changes we are making to maternity and paternity leave will represent a “delta” benefits adjustment in many countries that already offer some form of paid family leave,” she added.
