As a huge fan of Netflix and a fairly new mom, I was so excited to hear Netflix announce a groundbreaking new parental leave policy for its employees: “an unlimited leave policy for new moms and dads that allows them to take off as much time as they want during the first year after a child’s birth or adoption.” But I’m disappointed to learn that not all Netflix employees will get this crucial benefit. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t mandate paid parental leave and the Department of Labor estimates that only 12% of U.S. private sector workers get paid family leave through their employer. That’s why it is such a big deal that companies like Netflix are taking the lead to ensure their employees have the time that is required to bond with their new children. But shortly after the fanfare about Netflix’s new policy, the company confirmed to The Huffington Post that hundreds of workers in the company’s DVD division aren’t eligible for the company’s new parental leave policy. Sure, the DVD service might be less popular these days, but it still brings in hundreds of millions of dollars for Netflix and is even MORE profitable than the company’s streaming services. More importantly, it’s wrong for Netflix to create two classes of employees. Already, there’s a divide between higher income earners (especially in the tech industry) and low wage workers in terms of access to important benefits like parental leave. Netflix shouldn’t be contributing to this inequality within its own company. The warehouse workers who handle the returning, sorting and shipping of DVDs deserve to benefit from the same “freedom and responsibility” culture Netflix says it works to create. Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/

KEEN Footwear’s rugged and comfortable shoes are iconic among those who love the outdoors. The company’s shoes are now sold in more than 1,000 retail outlets in the U.S. and abroad, and buzz around the Portland-based brand continues to build. There's no question that KEEN’s talented employees are a big factor in the company’s success. But we recently learned that KEEN does not provide its U.S. employees with fully-paid parental leave. Instead, KEEN requires that new moms rely on six weeks of short-term disability at 60% of their paycheck after giving birth. Fathers and second parents have to use any paid vacation or sick leave they have stored up, depriving them of time to care for and bond with their children. The current policy isn’t competitive, and many feel it’s not enough time for new parents to recover from childbirth and bond with their children. Paid family leave isn't just the right thing to do -- it makes business sense, too. In 2007, data-driven Google realized that its paid parental leave program actually saved the company money by reducing costly turnover of mid-level and senior employees. Some of KEEN’s competitors offer paid family leave, too. Patagonia already offers eight weeks of maternity and paternity leave, as well as on-site childcare. The CEO of Toms Shoes, Blake Mycoskie, recently wrote in a blog post, “It's nuts that more companies haven't figured out what a win-win paid family leave is.” His company provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave to all parents, and Mycoskie claims it's made their workforce more productive and creative. There are so many reasons why paid parental leave just makes sense. Several members of Democracy for America work for KEEN in Portland, Oregon, and each hope to see a change in the company’s leave policy. DFA is championing paid family leave legislation at the state and national level, but we're also fighting on behalf of our members who work for employers that don't yet offer paid family leave. That’s why we're leading this campaign for change at KEEN. The United States is the only developed nation that doesn’t require paid parental leave, but many companies and local governments are taking steps to offer this important benefit to their staff. KEEN should be a leader on this issue. Not only will it lead to happier and healthier employees and families -- it’s something consumers want to see, too. Do the right thing, KEEN, and offer all employees at least eight weeks of paid parental leave.

My name is Courtnee Dean. For the past 10 years, I have been a loyal employee of Olive Garden store 1370 in Bala Cynwyd, PA. I am also a mother, currently seven months pregnant with my second child. On October 1st, 2014, I was unfairly terminated from my employment at Darden Restaurants for a lost coupon. I offered to compensate for the coupon, but the manager, Lily, refused the money. Instead of following the customary procedure of writing me up or taking the money, she called corporate and had me terminated. Even after working at Darden for 10 years, not only was I treated as disposable but so was my growing family. That’s why I am demanding that Darden Restaurants make this right by: 1) restoring my employment, 2) fully compensate me for all the time I have missed from work as a result of this unjust termination, and 3) meet with me and members of the Restaurant Opportunities Center United to address my case and the issues that workers face from Darden management all over the country, like being discriminated against for being pregnant and being forced to work while sick. Please join me in asking Darden Restaurants, the largest full-service restaurant company in the world, to do the right thing so that I can support my family and prevent similar situations from happening to the rest of Darden’s employees.

This is important because many of us here at Apple have had to take a leave of absence from work for various reasons. The leave process is challenging and draining. Most, if not all of the process is put on the employee. The employees may already be under stress, anxiety, or intense pressure due to their own personal situation. When we were hired, we were guaranteed these benefits but we aren’t all receiving them. This is especially true for those of us suffering with mental health problems which I believe are usually disregarded by the leave company and never seriously considered a disability. The government finds many mental health issues to be disabilities, so, why is it different when dealing with a leave company? Perhaps because the leave company believes the employee just wants to get paid to be out of work and to do whatever they want. However, the reality is that when on a leave for mental health issues, those issues are exacerbated due to the added stresses of being out on a leave, and mental health does not improve. There is no fairness when leave claims are handled between those with physical health leaves and mental health leaves. Physical and mental health do correlate. Personally, I have found Sedgwick to be a one-sided company whose only objective is to save Apple money by not paying their employees while out on a medical leave of absence from work. More specifically, in relation to medical leaves involving mental health. They also do not employ doctors to interview employees or review the documentation to verify their reason for the leave. They employ nurses, who are not qualified to make medical decisions, to make decisions regarding ones claim. Sedgwick is an unfair company with unfair business practices and many complaints regarding this company have been filed in recent years.