Netflix announced on Tuesday that it will introduce a new maternity and paternity leave policy that grants employees an unlimited amount of time away from work during the first year following childbirth or adoption.
The new policy, which was announced via the company's blog, also allows said workers to return via part-time or full-time status. The move is seen as a way to prevent workers from having to complicate their employment status with government agencies.
"We want employees to have the flexibility and confidence to balance the needs of their growing families without worrying about work or finances," Netflix Chief Talent Officer Tawni Cranz wrote.
"Parents can return part-time, full-time, or return and then go back out as needed."
Netflix's new maternity and paternity leave options allow for more break time than those offered by other corporations like Facebook and Google, which are both known for having some of the best self-care options for workers.
Earlier this year Netflix officials wrote a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking them to block AT&T's recent purchase of DirecTV.
The on-demand internet media company claimed that AT&T is likely to implement limits on bandwidth and data that could make online streaming more expensive in order to protect its DirecTV investment.
"AT&T's investment in a business model that profits by selling bundled programming packages will result in a powerful incentive to protect that model," Netflix says in the letter, according to the New York Times.
Although AT&T officials have not commented on the letter, they assured reporters that the company addressed Netflix's claim in their FCC review process. Additionally, Netflix officials did not asking the FCC to completely reject the purchase, but rather to temporarily block it until modifications are made to the terms of agreement.
"While we are participating in the government's review, we are not opposing the merger," Netflix spokeswoman Anne Marie Squeo said in a statement, according to Reuters.
"We've been highlighting concerns about AT&T's broadband practices and the need for appropriate remedies since last September."
Netflix was founded in 1997.
