Dads, Daddies, Nanas, PopPops, Bobes, Grannies, Abuelos, Opas,  rejoice!

Though paternity leave is rarely paid, one dental distribution company offers benefits along the lines of Richard Branson, billionaire investor and founder of the Virgin Group, in setting examples that might change trend. Benco Dental even added one day of pay for grandparents who work at the business.

Branson recently announced he would offer a year of paid paternal and maternal leave to 140 employees who work in London and Geneva — a significant step in reform of parental leave policies, according to advocates. Though it affects only a portion of Virgin’s 50,000 global employees, it nonetheless makes a bold statement.

Eighty-seven percent of workers overall have access to unpaid family leave, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. Yet, a study of working fathers by the Center for Work and Family at Boston College shows many dads barely take any time off after the birth of a child. Surveys show one reason new dads do not take leave is that it could be hard financially.

In a timestribune.com story, reporter Denise Allabaugh @CVAllabaugh compares these national numbers with policies of employers in Northeast Pennsylvania.

Local companies that offer paid leave for new fathers include Benco Dental, headquartered in CenterPoint Commerce and Trade Park in Jenkins Twp. The company offers a week of paternity and maternity pay at their regular rate for the first week after birth or adoption, according to George Rable, Benco Dental vice president, culture and people.

Benco Dental implemented maternity and paternity pay after participating in the Working Mother Best Companies Program in 2014, Mr. Rable said. In reviewing the various benefits that the best companies were offering, he said maternity and paternity pay was one the practices that “resonated with us as it fits with the family culture at Benco.”

“In the case of the father, this allows him to spend time with his child and significant other and retain accrued paid time off for use at another time,” Mr. Rable said. “Recently, we added one day of pay for grandparents who work at Benco.”

Recently, the nation’s largest privately owned dental distribution company, Benco Dental, added one day of pay for grandparents who work at the company.

Nanas, PopPops, Bobes, Zeydes, Omas, Opas, rejoice!

Perhaps this is among the reasons the nation’s largest privately owned dental distributor earned a spot among the Best Places to Work in PA for the 11th year in 2014.

According to the Family and Medical Leave Act, employees qualify for family leave if they work for the federal, state or local governments or any company that has 50 or more employees and if they worked for the employer for at least a year.

Learn about the exceptions to this rule, and about other Pennsylvania companies making strides on this front: https://thetimes-tribune.com/news/paternity-leave-gives-dads-quality-time-with-newborns-1.1901394

Find a career at Benco Dental: https://www.benco.com/careers/