paid leave

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case study

sample policy

parental leave

Paid leave for the birth, adoption, or acceptance of

foster placement of a child that is separate from vacation

or sick leave.

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benefit to employers

Increases or does not decrease productivity
Improves recruitment
Increases likelihood that new mothers will come back to work (and to same employer) and stay employed
Increases likelihood that new fathers will stay employed
Reduces turnover costs through increased retention
Improves morale and job satisfaction

benefits to families

Improves family incomes
Increases initiation and length of breastfeeding
Decreases maternal depression and stress
Increases paternal engagement in caregiving
Increases job satisfaction
Builds healthier parent-child relationships
Reduces wage gap between women and men
Reduces wage gap between mothers and childless women
Reduces stigma of taking leave
Increases gender equality
Workers are more likely to remain in the workforce, increasing family economic security

timeline for maternity leave preperation

Case Study

case study: Goff Public

Paid maternity leave critical to employee retention and company’s whole-person approach

When Madeleine Rush was first pregnant, she was a little anxious about telling her supervisor. The Goff Public senior account manager worried about the impact on her colleagues at the growing 20-person public relations and public affairs firm. Those fears quickly disappeared: her news was met with resounding enthusiasm.

“Our humanity is important at Goff Public, and having babies is part of the journey,” said Rush. “Everyone was so supportive of my pregnancy; the work came second.”

Goff Public offers 12 weeks paid maternity leave based on the employee returning in the same capacity they left (i.e., full-time prior, full-time upon return). In 2012, Goff Public introduced two weeks of paid paternity leave. The company’s team approach to client service means there’s always someone to cover for leaves and vacations, so employees can truly disconnect.

“At Goff Public, our employees are our business,” said CFO/COO Heidi Larson. “They are at their best when their whole lives are in sync, personally and professionally. Getting new parents off on the right track by giving them time to care for their babies — without financial and work pressures — is critical to creating healthy families and healthy employees.”

Rush didn’t know what to expect when her first child was born in 2018. She was thrilled and relieved to have 12 uninterrupted weeks of time with her daughter, Penny. Paid leave meant she didn’t have to worry about any reduction in pay. When her son Jack was born in January 2021, Rush again appreciated the paid leave and her colleagues’ support.

Location: St. Paul, Minn.