Etsy Offers Half-Year Family Leave for New Parents

The DIY online marketplace Etsy announced in a blog post Tuesday that the company will now offer fully-paid family leave for new parents for half a year.

“Etsy employees will be eligible for 26 weeks of fully paid leave when they become a parent through birth or adoption, regardless of their gender, country of residence or family circumstance,” Juliet Gorman, director of Culture and Engagement, wrote.

"When my wife and I adopted our son nearly four years ago, I took the full five weeks of leave we offered at the time,” said CEO Chad Dickerson. “It was the most important way I could have spent that time. Building a company is a team effort that includes the immense support we get from our families. I’m excited that our new leave policy will strengthen families and, as a result, the company as a whole.”

Strengthen families may be an admirable goal for the company but generous family leave policies are also a powerful incentive for talent.

The announcement comes as other companies in and out of the tech industry are unveiling their own generous family-leave offerings far more generous that the 12 unpaid weeks required by the Family Medical Leave Act, in an effort to lure and retain top talent. Last year, Netflix announced a policy of unlimited family leave for new moms and dads.