Current location:entertainment >>
Are America's paternity rights moving BACKWARDS? Major law firm quietly cuts leave for new parents
entertainment43People have gathered around
IntroductionA major law firm has quietly cut the amount of paternity leave it offers the majority of its attorne ...
A major law firm has quietly cut the amount of paternity leave it offers the majority of its attorneys by six weeks amidst widespread industry layoffs.
Non-partners at global firm DLA Piper are now eligible for just 12 weeks of paternal leave, down from 18 and less than the 16-week average of most major law firms.
However, birth mothers will have an additional six weeks of leave.
It comes as law firms engage in a jobs bloodbath and hiring freezes sparked by economic uncertainty.
In a statement, communications director Geneva Dawn Youel said the firm had to 'strike a balance' between offering staff competitive benefits while ensuring client work is properly covered.
Non-partners at global firm DLA Piper are now eligible for just 12 weeks of paternal leave, down from 18 and less than the 16-week average of most major law firms.
In a statement, communications director Geneva Dawn Youel (pictured) said the firm had to 'strike a balance' between offering staff competitive benefits while ensuring client work is properly covered
Businesses rarely cut such benefits as they are a crucial pillar of staff recruitment and retention.
But widespread hiring freezes and layoffs have hit the legal sector. Hiring across the industry fell 35 percent in 2023 compared to the year prior, according to a report by the National Association for Law Placement.
Slashing paternity benefits could therefore be seen as a cost-cutting measure to avoid layoffs, Axios reports.
Youel told the outlet: 'As a law firm, our top priority is to provide consistent, exceptional client service.
'To meet that goal, we need to strike a balance of providing our lawyers competitive benefits while also ensuring that the firm has proper coverage of client matters. We have done so here.'
DailyMail.com reached out to DLA Piper for comment.
Experts hit out at the decision as it would hinder their ability to recruit more staff.
Hilarie Bass, former co-president of Greenberg Traurig and former head of the American Bar Association told Axios: 'I think it's a really short-sighted approach. I think it's going to hurt them competitively in the recruiting world.'
Writing for Above the Law, Kathryn Rubino said: 'This is absolutely the kind of thing associates leave firms over — because even if they aren't immediately impacted by the change.
'It shows how little the firm actually cares about their non-partner attorneys.'
A 2022 study shows that the number of organizations offering paid maternity leave dropped 35 percent in that year. It had fallen 53 percent from the pandemic in 2020.
In April, the participation rate of women in the workforce reached a record high of 77.5 percent, surpassing a peak reached in 2000
The findings, from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), found the proportion of companies offering paid paternity leave similarly fell from 44 percent to 27 percent.
More companies cutting the benefit risks reversing historic gains made by women in the workplace.
Last year the number of women in the US workforce reached its highest level ever, smashing a record set in 2000.
The data, from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, showed gains had been driven by a rise in working mothers.
Some 73 percent of women with children under 18 were either employed or looking for employment.
The trend was triggered by a pandemic-induced shift towards hybrid and remote working which made it easier for mothers to balance childcare duties with their careers.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Stance news portal”。http://vifefibywomovap.allesfuersjagen.com/news-53c799847.html
Previous:Trial starts in conspiracy
Related articles
Duo charged with murder in killings of couple whose remains were found scattered on Long Island
entertainmentRIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — Two people were charged with murder on Monday in the killings of a couple who ...
Read moreCangzhou edge Chengdu for first win of season
entertainmentCangzhou Mighty Lions emerged victorious 1-0 over Chengdu Rongcheng in the Chinese Super League on S ...
Read moreParis 2024 countdown 100 days: moving forward amid expectations
entertainmentWith the Olympic flame lit on Tuesday in ancient Olympia, the countdown to the Paris Olympic Games h ...
Read more
Popular articles
Latest articles
LINKS
- Thrice divorced Whoopi Goldberg, 68, admits she NEVER wanted to get married
- The Dallas Stars have a big age gap with players who have come together for No. 1 seed in the West
- Nevada Supreme Court rulings hand setbacks to gun
- Kansas GOP congressman Jake LaTurner is not running again, citing family reasons
- Scheffler wiped out from Masters and opens with a 69 at Hilton Head. He trails Poston by 6 shots
- Kansas GOP congressman Jake LaTurner is not running again, citing family reasons
- First major attempts to regulate AI face headwinds from all sides
- Missouri lawmakers expand private school scholarships backed by tax credits
- Packers could still look to upgrade secondary in NFL draft even after adding Xavier McKinney
- Punjab Kings run out of steam as Mumbai Indians win by 9 runs