Show us your leave policy, employers: The latest LinkedIn trend

New York-based media company theSkimm has started the “show us your leave” challenge on LinkedIn. (Representational Image)

A new trend has emerged on LinkedIn which asks employers to go public with their paid leave policies. It begun last week with a post from New York-based media company theSkimm.

“Employers, it’s time to #ShowUsYourLeave,” the company said in its LinkedIn post. “Skimm’rs have gotten loud about the importance of paid leave. Now we are challenging companies to do the same.”

The Skimm revealed that it provides 18 weeks of paid leave, which includes off days for adoption and fostering of children. The company also said it provides bereavement leave for pregnancy loss and allows employees to have flexible work timings according to their parental schedules.

“Change begins with transparency and working together,” the company said. It called on other employers to also post their leave policies on social media with the hashtag ShowUsYourLeave.

Reddit, Pinterest and Estee Lauder were among those who responded to the trend. Reddit said that it provides up to 26 weeks of paid leave for childbirth. The company also gives over eight weeks of paid leave to employees in case of loss of pregnancy. All Reddit employees get monthly wellness days.

The trend has started a conversation about what employers need to do to promote caregiving and well-being.

“theSkimm has started such an important, impactful movement,” said LinkedIn user Moira Sharkey, an advocate. “THANK YOU! Please, as you create these terrific policies that center the importance of caregiving and well-being, please include consideration for the 10-12 million people in the US each year experiencing domestic/intimate partner violence. “

Another user, Allisson Elliot, said: “I wish more companies offered bereavement leave after loss! I’ve suffered 2 losses and was asked how soon I’d be back both times. I worked for a smaller company at the time and it motivated me to leave.”

Other gave shout-outs to workplaces with good leave policies in place.

"Kudos to the companies who value their employees to the extent illustrated here, however there are two distinct classes of workers in today's America, and the gap between them is growing wider all of the time," said a LinkedIn user named Chuck McNiece.  "We need to do better, and a good start would be to stop blaming people for the situation they find themselves in."