Most electrical utilities in the country offer no paid parental leave, a release from Duke Energy notes. The paid leave is for mothers and fathers, starting within the first 16 weeks following a birth, adoption or for those who need time to deal with foster care placement. The birth mother will have a total of 12 weeks when counting the utility’s existing pregnancy-related short-term disability benefit.
Duke Energy has about 29,000 workers with most in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Overall, just 21% of U.S. companies give their employees paid maternity leave, while 17% provide paid paternity leave, a 2015 Society for Human Resource Management benefits survey found.
“Paid parental leave will give Duke Energy employees important quality time to bond with their new children without the financial pressure of having to immediately return to work,” says Melissa Anderson, Duke Energy executive vice president and chief human resources officer. “That’s good for our employees and their children.”