The 50 Best Companies For New Dads

These days, you don’t have to be Mark Zuckerberg to get great paternity leave.

Companies are offering new dads more time off than ever before, according to research from Fatherly, a dad-focused parenting site that compiles an annual list of the "50 Best Places To Work For New Dads."

This year, the site found that the average number of weeks offered for paternity leave has nearly doubled since last year. The average is now seven and a half weeks, up from four in 2015.

Fatherly compiled its 2016 ranking by using data from academics, activist groups, HR departments at large companies and more. The site didn't just factor in the amount of paid time off companies gave to new dads; it also considered companies' other family-friendly policies. 

Some of the top firms from 2015 have dropped in the ranks -- not because their policies got worse, but because other companies' offerings improved. Google, for instance, famous for its family-friendly policies, fell from first to sixth. Netflix, which recently began offering a full year of leave for new parents of any gender, now sits in the number-one spot.  

“By allowing me to figure out how to navigate this crucial time in my family’s development, my team is helping me be great, not just at home but at the office as well,” wrote Casey Rosenthal, a Netflix dad, in a LinkedIn blog earlier this year. 

It seems that, during a year of forward momentum for parental leave in cities and states across the country, companies have finally caught on to the fact that parental leave is good for business -- and that moms aren’t the only ones who need support.

Here are the top 50 companies to work at if you’re a new dad:

1. Netflix

Policy: Unlimited first year

Industry: Media

2015 Rank: New entry

• The policy allows parents to return part time or full time, or return and then go back out as needed, while continuing to to be paid normally.

2. Spotify

Policy: 24 weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: New entry

• New dads can use the time however they see fit, up to their child’s third birthday. 

• The company also runs a “Welcome Back!” program, which lets employees ease back into a full schedule with telecommuting and flexible hours.

3. Facebook

Policy: 17 weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: 2

• New parents at Facebook receive a $4,000 “new child benefit.”

• Facebook supplements its health insurance with $20,000 worth of fertility and family planning benefits, covering everything from egg freezing and sperm retrieval to surrogacy agency fees, all of which are available to same-sex couples as well.

4. Patagonia

Policy: 12 weeks

Industry: Retail

2015 Rank: 4

• Patagonia’s onsite child care is staffed with child development professionals.

• New parents who have to travel for business are provided a traveling child care professional so they can bring their baby with them.

5. Pinterest

Policy: 16 weeks

Industry: Media

2015 Rank: New entry

• In addition to Pinterest's 4-month paternity leave, the company offers new dads a fifth “transition” month, during which they can work a reduced schedule while still receiving full pay. 

6. Google

Policy: 12 weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: 1

• The company has one-on-one consultations to help parents figure out their options, including discounts for nanny placement agencies, five free days of backup child care and priority access to Bright Horizons child care centers.

• It provides parents with $500 for "baby bonding."

7. Microsoft

Policy: 12 weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: 16

• Microsoft offers a child care subsidy of up to 20 percent of tuition at national providers near its offices around the country.

• The company's corporate headquarters in Redmond, Washington, has an on-site health care clinic that provides same-day appointments with doctors, physical therapists and chiropractors.

8. Bank of America

Policy: 12 weeks

Industry: Finance

2015 Rank: 3

• It provides confidential counseling and resources to assist with everything from financial planning to parenting issues.

• The company's health insurance includes a service called TelaDoc, which lets employees talk to a doctor by phone or video chat for a $40 copay.

9. LinkedIn

Policy: 12 weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: 6

• Parents receive a $2,000 annual child care subsidy.

• The company recently moved from a "Paid Time Off" policy to "Discretionary Time Off," meaning employees work with managers to schedule their vacation days, with no set maximum.

10. Twitter

Policy: 10 weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: 11

• It lets employees take whatever time off they need, as long as they meet obligations.

• The company runs "Dads On Leave" roundtables, which bring together employees who have paternity leave experience to share tips and best practices.

11. AirBnB

Policy: Eight weeks

Industry: Hospitality

2015 Rank: New entry

• All parents at AirBnB receive a complimentary membership to UrbanSitter.

• Everyone receives a $2,000 annual traveling stipend.

12. Johnson & Johnson

Policy: Eight weeks

Industry: Biotech and pharmaceuticals

2015 Rank: New entry

• Johnson & Johnson has seven on-site child care centers.

• The company’s leave policy can be divided up as employees see fit any time during their kid’s first year.

13. Accenture

Policy: Eight weeks

Industry: Business services

2015 Rank: New entry

• Accenture allows employees to work remotely for a full year after their kid is born.

14. MasterCard

Policy: Eight weeks

Industry: Finance

2015 Rank: 39

• MasterCard provides employees preferred enrollment status and a 10 percent discount at a national network of child care centers, along with a subsidy of up to $2,000 annually.

• The company also provides college scholarships to employees' kids.

15. Intuit

Policy: Eight weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: 29

• The company’s scholarship program offers $5,000, which can be used for college, secondary school and even vocational schools for students of employees.

16. Intel

Policy: Eight weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: New entry

• Intel covers $15,000 per adoption.

• The company provides four weeks of paid sabbatical for every four years of employment. This can be combined with the existing eight weeks of parental leave.

17. Zillow

Policy: Eight weeks

Industry: Information technology

2015 Rank: New entry

• It offers 16 days of backup child care.

• The company also provides new parents with $1,000 “Baby Bucks” on Amazon.

18. Paypal

Policy: Eight weeks

Industry: Finance

2015 Rank: New entry

• In addition to paid parental leave, PayPal also offers up to eight weeks of paid family care leave, for when a child gets sick.

• PayPal offers employees unlimited vacation. And after five years with the company, employees earn a four-week paid sabbatical.

19. Bain Capital

Policy: Eight weeks

Industry: Business services

2015 Rank: New entry

• Bain provides health and dental benefits immediately upon hire.

• New hires also receive three weeks of vacation on day one. This offering expands to four weeks after two years at the company.

20. Yahoo

Policy: Eight weeks

Industry: Media

2015 Rank: 13

• Employees get a monthly $500 "Daily Habits" stipend for things like child care, laundry and groceries.

• After five years, employees earn an eight-week unpaid sabbatical.

21. Genentech

Policy: Six weeks

Industry: Biotech and pharmaceuticals

2015 Rank: 6

• In addition to the six weeks of paid leave, employees can take another six weeks unpaid over the course of the kid's first 12 months.

• A sabbatical program provides six weeks paid time off every six years.

22. Roche Diagnostics

Policy: Six weeks

Industry: Health care

2015 Rank: 9

• Kids of employees at the Indianapolis headquarters are eligible for a summer camp operated by the city's YMCA.

23. CA Tech

Policy: Six weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: 18

• The company runs a "phase back to work" program for new parents, allowing employees to work 50 percent of their normal schedule the first week back and 75 percent the second week back -- all at 100 percent pay.

• The on-site child care centers are Montessori-certified and serve kids between the ages of 6 month and 6 years. The centers also offer a Summer Academy, plus care during school holidays.

24. Amazon

Policy: Six weeks

Industry: Retail

2015 Rank: New entry

• A “Leave Share” program allows employees to share all or some of their six weeks with a spouse or partner who doesn’t have paid leave through their own employer.

• Any primary caregiver can participate a “Ramp Back Program,” which eases him or her back into full-time work at 50-75 percent of their normal schedule for up to eight weeks.

25. Kimpton

Policy: Six weeks

Industry: Hospitality

2015 Rank: 12

• All company meetings have an exercise component — like yoga or jogging — scheduled into them, to improve employee wellness.

26. Pricewaterhouse

Policy: Six weeks

Industry: Accounting and legal

2015 Rank: 10

• PwC allows "Flex Days," days off employees can take, provided their work schedules allow for it and they still work a 40-hour week.

• It also offers unprescribed sick days, whether it's an employee who is sick or their child, parent or spouse.

27. Arnold & Porter

Policy: Six weeks

Industry: Accounting and legal

2015 Rank: 8

• Employees only have to work 25 hours a week to qualify for benefits, and the firm maintains a panel of partners who advise employees looking to transition to part-time work.

• It offers onsite child care at its D.C. headquarters.

28. Apple

Policy: Six weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: New entry

• In addition to its standard vacation policy, Apple provides a paid week off during Christmas.

29. Alston And Bird

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Accounting and legal

2015 Rank: 25

• The firm maintains a concierge service to cover errands, like car repairs, vacation planning, gift shopping or waiting on home maintenance appointments.

30. Akami

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: New entry

• Akami provides its employees unlimited paid time off.

• The company offers free premium memberships to Care.com and helps with child care assistance through an au pair program discount as well.

31. Ultimate Software

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Tech

2015: 47

• It offers 100 percent health care coverage for employees and all of their dependents.

• The company encourages employees to utilize its flex time policies, including weekly work-from-home days.

32. Adobe

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: New entry

• Adobe provides paid time off for all employees over Christmas and July 4th, which don’t count against annual vacation days.

• In addition to covering up to $1,200 in child care expenses, tax-free, the company provides access to Bright Horizon’s Care Advantage, a subsidized child care program that activates when a parent’s existing child care falls through for whatever reason.

33. Cooley

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Accounting and legal

2015 Rank: New entry

• Employees at Cooley are eligible for up to 20 days of child care through Bright Horizon’s Care Advantage backup day care solutions.

• The firm will cover a health club initiation fee plus up to $65 a month in dues, which can also be used for yoga classes, tennis lessons or other health activities.

34. Diageo

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Food and beverage

2015 Rank: New entry

• Diageo claims that 95 percent of employees utilize flex time to some degree in their personal work schedules.

• Offers employees Bright Horizon's Care Advantage, including up to 15 days of backup child care services at a cost of $15 per child.

• Every month, employees receive eight hours of school activity leave (up to 40 hours per year).

35. Humana

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Insurance

2015 Rank: 50

• Humana provides 23 vacation days per year.

• Humana offers up to $5,000 tuition reimbursement, and its 401(k) is a 125 percent match for up to 6 percent of an employee's salary.

36. State Street

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Finance

2015 Rank: 5

• The four weeks of paternity leave don't have to be taken consecutively.

37. Fannie Mae

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Finance

2015 Rank: 20

• Fannie Mae’s flex time adoption by employees stands at approximately 30 percent.

• Fannie Mae provides personal financial planners.

38. Red Hat

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: New entry

• One quarter of Red Hat employees work remotely full time.

39. HP, Inc

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Tech

2015 Rank: New entry

• HP offers up to eight weeks of paid leave for families going through the adoption process.

• It offers Bright Horizon's Care Advantage backup day care solutions.

40. Discovery

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Media

2015 Rank: 17

• Discovery offers on-site child care and an on-site medical center.

• The company also offers a personal concierge service to handle tasks like grocery shopping, vacation research, car and home maintenance.

41. Viacom

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Media

2015 Rank: New entry

• An employee resource group called “The Parenthood” creates programming and events for Viacom employees with kids.

42. Perkins Coie

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Accounting and legal

2015 Rank: New entry

• Primary caregivers are given 140 hours of transition time that can be used to extend paid leave, or to “ramp down” before taking leave or “ramp up” prior to returning from leave.

• Half of the firm’s attorneys use flex time to some extent in their personal work schedule.

43. Procter & Gamble

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Consumer goods

2015 Rank: 44

• Procter & Gamble covers 80 percent of all continuing education expenses, up to $40,000 over the course of an employee's career.

44. Goldman Sachs

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Finance

2015 Rank: 32

• Goldman provides a coordinator that helps arrange flex time and plans parents’ leave.

• It doesn’t define primary and secondary caregiver along gender lines.

45. Power Home Remodeling Group

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Remodeling

2015 Rank: New entry

• Flex time and telecommute policies are used by 35 percent of employees.

• It has an annual three-day Mexico trip, where every employee is invited along with a guest.

46. Factset

Policy: Four weeks

Industry: Finance

2015 Rank: New entry

• The company upped its paternity leave from one week to four.

• Forty-five percent of employees use the company’s flex time policy in some capacity.

47. Allstate

Policy: Starts at four weeks; increases to six weeks after four years of employment

Industry: Insurance

2015 Rank: New entry

• Allstate offers on-site child care at its largest offices and discounts at reputable nationwide chains elsewhere.

48. Wellstar Health Systems

Policy: Three weeks

Industry: Health care

2015 Rank: 21

• An on-site concierge service is tasked with making sure errands like car service, holiday gift buying and dry cleaning are handled.

• Wellstar offers adopting families $20,000.

49. McGraw-Hill Financial

Policy: Three weeks

Industry: Financial

2015 Rank: 27

• The company lets employees contribute up to $5,000 pre-tax to a flexible spending account for child care expenses and, if they make less than $85,000 in salary, it will match the first $1,000 contribution to the account.

• It provides annual $5,000 college scholarships for the kids of employees.

50. RSM

Policy: Three weeks

Industry: Accounting

2015 Rank: New entry

• RSM provides “extended care cash” to parents who frequently work outside traditional hours or travel often. It can be used for extended day care or to bring kids on business trips.

• The company runs a new parent coaching program that provides counseling services, tips and advice to new parents.