Google increases leave time, vacation days

Google has announced that it will increase its employee benefits for full-time employees around the globe in 2022.
The Mountain View, a CA-based company, has increased parental leave from 12 to 18 weeks for all parents and 18 to 24 weeks for those who give birth.
Employees' vacation time will increase from 15 days to a minimum of 20 days per annum starting April 2. The company will double the amount of carer leave it allows for loved ones who are seriously ill and make it eight weeks. A spokesperson for Google said that the company temporarily increased the carer's leave due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is still available to employees experiencing disruptions to their family or childcare.
According to Fiona Cicconi (chief people officer at Google), more than 40% of Google employees belong to the "sandwich generations," which would include caring for their aging relatives and raising their children.
Cicconi stated that they want to support their employees at all stages of their lives. "That means providing extraordinary benefits so they can spend more with their baby, care for a sick loved person, or take care of themselves," she said. Today, we are announcing an increase in our global leave benefits. This is to make sure that caregivers and parents have more time with their loved ones and encourage all Googlers not to neglect themselves.
According to a Google spokesperson, there are other benefits offered by Google, including bereavement leave which covers stillbirths and miscarriages, and Ramp Back Time. This allows employees to work at least 50% of their usual weekly hours while still receiving 100% of their weekly salary for the first two weeks after returning from maternity leave.

According to an employee survey from last year, there is an evident decline in employee wellbeing. This prompted the tech giant to roll out additional benefits, including more company-wide days off and employee bonuses, as per reports from Business Insider.
Nearly all industries are being forced to review their benefits packages to stay competitive in this labor market. They offer higher salaries, flexible work hours, increased 401k matches, and many perks such as tuition reimbursement, mental health support, and pet insurance. Little Caesars also offered new employees in the Detroit area a pair of club, suite, or lower-bowl tickets to sporting and entertainment events at Comerica Park or Little Caesars Arena.
These increased benefits are due to the Great Resignation. The United States has experienced a historic turnover in its workforce. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 38 million Americans quit their jobs last year. A record 4.5million Americans quit their jobs in November, an increase from 4.2 million in October. Particularly essential workers are leaving to seek better opportunities, more money, and greater mobility.