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Employees work at Etsy Inc. headquarters in the Brooklyn on August 11, 2015.
Employees work at Etsy Inc. headquarters in the Brooklyn on August 11, 2015.
Chris Goodney—Bloomberg via Getty Images

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.