Paid Time Off MattersA (slow) progress report

Memorial Day should be paid holiday for all 40.000 Microsoft's Temps

Memorial Day should be a paid holiday for all Microsoft temps. In a press release to be distributed to the media, Temporary Workers of America asks Microsoft to clarify its new paid leave requirement for supplier's employees and to speed up its implementation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image created pro bono by Lili'uolani Pickford for TWA, (c) TWA,  see more images

 

Sheryl Sandberg: Working Together Toward Equality: Let Us Keep Fighting

In the last chapter of her Lean In bestseller, Facebook  COO Sheryl Sandberg, writes (p.169)

" I am fully aware that most women are not focused on changing social norms for the next generation but simply trying to get through each day. Forty per cent of employed mothers lack sick days and vacation leave, and about fifty per cent of employed mothers are unable to take time off to care for a sick child. Only about half of women receive any pay during maternity leave. These policies can have severe consequences; families with no access to paid family leave often go into debt and can fall into poverty...

When leadership insists that these policies change, they will.

On page 171 she makes the case for more female leadership: "More female leadership will lead to fairer treatment for all women. Shared experience forms the basis of empathy and, in turn, can spark the institutional changes we need... Research already suggests that companies with more women in leadership roles have better work-life policies... (we are) dissatisfied with the status quo. This dissatisfaction spurs the charge for change. We must keep going... We owe it to the generations that came before us and the generations that will come after to keep fighting."

How much would it cost to provide Memorial Day as a paid holiday? $5204

Considering the present compensation rate of the 37 or so Tier1 tester/reviewers working for Microsoft and paid via Lionbridge Technologies we estimate the cost for one paid leave day is $5204.
In comparison, Lionbridge CEO, Rory Cowan made last year between $1.522.275 and $2.89 million (that's including part of his stock options): taking into account his $1.5 million compensation, one paid leave day for the 37 employees represents less than one day of Cowan's income and less than 4 hours when choosing his $2.9 million income. 
For the first quarter of 2015, Lionbridge posted record earnings and bought back 254.000 shares of its common stock for $1.4 million.

In the Seattle Times: Cornish College art students help with Microsoft temps' campaign for better benefits

In the Sunday edition of the Seattle Times.

On line petition to MICROSOFT: Give Memorial Day as paid leave holiday to your supplier's employees.

We just created with Coworker.org' support an on line petition titled "MICROSOFT: Give Memorial Day as paid leave holiday to your supplier's employees."

Take a moment to add your name supporting this demand:
Thousands of people have worked for years for Microsoft via contractors-vendors, without having any paid time off. We think Microsoft's new policy of requiring their suppliers to provide paid time off should be fully implemented as soon as possible.
Memorial Day seems a perfect and very symbolic date to start providing paid leave.

We don't see any technical or financial obstacle to do so and it would be a tangible sign that Microsoft takes its commitment seriously and will implement it promptly.

 This upcoming Memorial Day is an opportunity to ask Microsoft to start implementing its commitment to paid leave now instead of we don't know when.

We think it's worth giving it a try. After you've signed the petition, please take a moment to share it with others.

It's easy – all you need to do is forward this message.

 

Thank you!

Some background info:
March 26 announcement by Brad Smith: Paid Time Off Matters

April 16: CEO Satya Nadella invited at the White House as a 'champion of change'.

May 12: Facebook CEO announces immediate implementation of required paid leave for their supplier's employees

Updated information will be posted on
www.paidtimeoffmatters.com
most recent news

Improved Benefits for Facebook Contractors' Employees

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's CEO posted this announcement (below) on FB's blog. You'll notice the similarity with Microsoft's announcement also via the company's blog and with a very similar wording. A few differences still: the $15 minimal wage and $4000 for workers who don't receive parental leave. It's not clear if the minimum 15 days of paid time off includes the 'legal holidays' or if they are added to this package. I wonder if the media compared those benefits to those offered by FaceBook to their 'direct' employees. No mention of the eventual 'cost', nor who will pay for it, nor how many people are concerned. Implementation was effective May 1st for some contractors.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (for Mother's Day): Paid Family Leave

Almost 2 million people already watched it on YT. HERE.

New generous paid maternity leave at Johnson & Johnson: 15 weeks

From Jena McGregor's Washington Post blog. Johnson & Johnson now offers 15 weeks of paid leave for new moms. See the details below.

All the images created by the Cornish students are now on a dedicated blog: Images for Paid Leaves

Just visit Images for Paid Leaves and tell us the ones you prefer.

Valerie Jarrett: Why we think paid leave is a worker's right, not a privilege

Posted on LinkedIn on January 14, by Valerie Jarrett

How much paid time off does Microsoft provide to its own "direct" employees?

From Glassdoor and I work for Microsoft (a bit old? 2008) and Glassdoor again for paid parental leave.
Microsoft provides paid time off for eight national holidays in addition to paid time off for two personal days per year and 10 sick days per year. That is all use-or-lose time, none of that rolls over if you don't use it. Vacation time is based on your years of service with the company. Vacation time does roll over year to year but only up to a maximum of one year's worth, then you begin to lose it and there is no cash out option. Employees with less than six years of service earn three weeks of paid vacation per year. Employees with six to 12 years of service earn four weeks, and over 12 years earn 5 weeks per year. Employees with over 15 years who have reached Principle level also earn a paid eight week sabbatical.
Paid Maternity/Paternity Leave – At Microsoft, new mothers are eligible for 20 weeks off following childbirth: 12 weeks paid at 100 percent of base salary, with the option to take an additional eight weeks unpaid. This time off is available immediately upon hire. Parental Leave is available for new fathers and employees who care for a newly adopted child or newly placed foster child. Parental Leave may be taken for up to 12 weeks, with four weeks paid at 100 percent of base salary and eight weeks unpaid.

A slightly different version from Glassdoor:

 

• Apr 26, 2015
   Current Senior Program Manager in Redmond, Washington State

  Microsoft provides up to 12 weeks per year for parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child. The first four weeks are paid, and the remaining eight can be unpaid or paid by using vacation and/or sick time. The leave can be taken anytime within 12 months of the birth or adoption of the child.

 

12 weeks of paid parental and family leave

12 weeks of paid parental and family leave for King County Council employees. Where is Microsoft headquartered?

How BloombergBusinessweek sees Temporary Workers demands

Read the article here
Photograph by Ryan Duffin for BloombergBusinessweek