Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg to take two months paternity leave
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg will take two months of paternity leave when his daughter is born this year, amid a debate about how technology firms are offering parental leave to their staff.
Zuckerberg made the announcement on his timeline, calling it a “very personal decision”. He went on to add that “outcomes are better for children and families” when working parents take time off to be with their newborns.
It follows the announcement in July that he and his wife Priscilla Chan were expecting their first child following three miscarriages.
His decision will fuel the ongoing debate around the family policies being offered by the technology industry. In August, Netflix announced an unlimited leave policy for new parents, but this was greeted with criticisms over which staff would receive it. Microsoft and Adobe have also bolstered their parental leave policies this year. However, Yahoo boss Marissa Mayer was slammed by some in September when she revealed she would take as little as two weeks maternity leave and will be “working throughout” to give birth to twins.
While Facebook has not offered up any additional details on what will happen during its founder’s absence, it’s likely that second-in-command Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer, will take over the reigns.