KEEN: Your employees deserve paid parental leave

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.