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This is great. It sends the message that no matter who you are, prioritizing family over business is an option, especially when a newborn has arrived. I'm also

This is great. It sends the message that no matter who you are, prioritizing family over business is an option, especially when a newborn has arrived. I'm also willing to bet that it's good for business. An employee with better relationships at home is more likely to be productive at work in the long term.

joosters 11y ago
But he's not, after all he could have taken four months but chose not to.
- jsprogrammer 11y ago
  Did he already return to work?
- gdubs 11y ago
  He's taking two months "when she arrives", which doesn't exclude taking more time throughout the year...
x5n1 11y ago
Zuck could take the rest of his life off work. And when he's an old man he will wish that he had. But in the mean time the share holders can benefit from his keen.
- bbq 11y ago
  Can you point me to any historical titans of industry who regret their life's work?
  - 13of40 11y ago
    Didn't you ever watch the end of "There Will Be Blood"?
    - qmalxp 11y ago
      Did you?
  - o0-0o 11y ago
    Comparing an "ad man" to a "historical titan of industry" sounds a bit fishy to me. Now, if we were talking about Elon Musk, I'd agree!
  - x5n1 11y ago
    This guy once gave at talk at my university where he said he regretted not doing a lot of things because he was working and now he was too old to do them because of his health. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Schulich https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Schulich
    - bbq 11y ago
      He sounds like someone who would give a great talk. I can see that happening for sure. I've devoted my life to a lot less before realizing there was more out there. These people put so much time into their work there's little left for a broad life - unless you make some clear boundaries like Mark is doing now. Maybe this will be a one time thing and, as you suggest, he may regret not making more time for other areas of his life. Maybe he'll manage to carve out more time for himself.
    - scott_karana 11y ago
      His book "Get Smarter" is a pretty amusing read, too.
  - TeMPOraL 11y ago
    I don't buy regret. From what I've read so far, people who worked too much regret not doing things with family, etc. and people who lived bog-standard GenPop family life regret that their life had no meaning. So I guess death is just one big paradox of choice.
- PKop 11y ago
  He could have done that when he was 19 years old. Obviously....OBVIOUSLY.... Zuck, and Facebook, are what they are because he doesn't agree with your views on his life. How do you know he wouldn't regret stopping work now when he's an old man? You have absolutely no idea. But we can take an educated guess by the motivations and choices he's shown in the past. Which were, to keep working and building his company. Because he probably enjoys it. My grandfather grew up dirt poor. He built a small real estate business on his own, and continues to come to work every day and he's in his 90's. If he was forced to "take the rest of his life off" not just 20 years ago, but even now, he would without question be less happy as result. He enjoys working. Many people do. Especially those who are founders of businesses.
  - x5n1 11y ago
    When people get old they don't have much in their life other than their family and work, and many workoholics have only their work, case in point Warren Buffet, that's not proof that they would rather not do anything else. Or would've lived their lives differently if they had the chance, and many of them might be too proud to admit it at this point considering that they will soon be gone. It's just that work is the only thing left that makes them feel useful, wanted, and provides some sense of purpose in their lives. They have been so busy in work they don't know what else to do... nor is their body and brain capable of doing much more than what it has done most of its life. Many rich business people completely quit business and instead do philanthropy, case in point Bill Gates... Zuck's role model? Facebook is not something positive in the lens of history. It's just a big money maker. Maybe it will still be relevant in 20 years, but eventually it will be seen for what it is... as if it's not already. And all that will be left is the money, of which Zuck has more than enough to do much more worthwhile things with his life. Like perhaps philanthropy. Maybe he can really solve some problems before he dies in 40-50 or so years. Of which maybe the 10-20 next ones will be his prime.
oneJob 11y ago
I had a sorta different reaction. I thought, it'd be amazing if everyone at Facebook had the option to take two months off for paternity leave and prioritize family over business without worrying about losing their job or good favor with their supervisor.
- blazespin 11y ago
  Ahaha. Considering Facebook is rated #1 place to work I am sure it's just fine. Rather, it'd be amazing if you could do this at any workplace.
- 13of40 11y ago
  I had a different one: Two months? If that guy hasn't built his business up to the point where he can take a sabbatical and do right by his family, then there's no hope for the rest of us.
  - qmalxp 11y ago
    I suspect it's not so much that he can't take more time off, but that he doesn't want to.
- ryderm 11y ago
  I doubt that either of these outcomes are likely
- sp332 11y ago
  How is that different from acangiano's point?
- seattle_spring 11y ago
  Then prepare to be amazed, because they actually have four months paid paternity leave.
  - robotresearcher 11y ago
    I hope the environment is such that people feel they can use it without penalty. Anyone have experience?
SCAQTony 11y ago
...But how long will it take for paternal leave to trickle down to the largest employers in America who pay near or at minimum wage? 1) Wal-Mart Stores 2,200,000 2) Yum! Brands 523,000 3) McDonald's 440,000 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_employers_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_employers_in_t... IMHO a billionaire taking a two-month leave will not inspire a majority of the top 50 employers to allow their male workforce to take 2-months off. YMMV
- Turing_Machine 11y ago
  This is probably going to get me voted down, but maybe...just maybe...you shouldn't be having kids if the only job you can get is McDonalds or Yum! Brands (i.e., Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, etc.). If you choose to have a child when your resources are that limited, your non-paternity leave is going to be among the least of the child's problems.
  - datashovel 11y ago
    Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but are you saying having children and a family is a privilege that should be exclusive to wealthy people? EDIT: I think I have a different opinion on this. I say if a human being in a wealthy nation like USA is only capable of a job that pays minimum wage, this is a problem with the system, and not with the individual. If we just discounted all people for where they have ended up, we will never be curious enough to explore how they got there and how to prevent it in the future.
  - pyrophane 11y ago
    I think everyone who works the equivalent of full-time should be able to afford to have children. The fact is, not everyone is going to get out of these low wage jobs, and that doesn't mean they would be bad parents. Have we gone so far as a society towards judging the poor that we don't believe the are fit to reproduce?
  - lenkite 11y ago
    Well.. such thinking can be generalized to simply saying: "You shouldn't be LIVING, if you are poor. Shoot yourself now because you cannot afford life and you are wasting resources of the rich on this planet with your sorry, poverty-stricken soul"
wobbleblob 11y ago
What kind of message does it send? Take two months off when you could afford to retire? If I were in his shoes, I'd sell my shares in that website, take a few years off and then go a little Bill Gates, a little Elon Musk. I guess this is why I'm not a successful businessman.
- incepted 11y ago
  > If I were in his shoes, I'd sell my shares in that website Probably why you're not.
  - nichochar 11y ago
    interesting! I wonder if you're right, or not. I could see both arguments both ways
    - sahaj 11y ago
      There's the proof.
  - wobbleblob 11y ago
    Exactly what I said in the last sentence of my post. Thank you for your contribution though.
- keerthiko 11y ago
  Unlike Microsoft was to Bill Gates, Facebook seems to embody Mark's lifelong ideologies (connecting everyone in the world). He has often said he doesn't see himself doing anything with his life other than building the future of Facebook, just in a different form if Facebook hadn't taken off. On the other hand Gates just hit the lottery on one of the projects he worked on related to a field he was good at, when what he seems to really care about is more grassroots philanthropy work. If he could take two months off he could probably take a few years off, but he would probably just be itching to go back to work on FB the whole time.
  - 11y ago
sanoli 11y ago
Doesn't facebook gives dads four months leave? the message here could be hey, taking the full leave might make you look like lazy, the boss only took two months.
- bertil 11y ago
  You can take them in several periods. In Mark’s case, a long contiguous departure puts a lot on Sheryl Sandberg’s shoulders; she recently lost her husband and has children of her own, so that might not be ideal. Internally, Mark’s work ethic is… known to be high, and less a model than the many other employees who become parents. Because employees tend to be Facebook-friends with everyone they know internally, you see a lot of baby-photo pictures: that has far more impact on your perception of what is explicitly told to be the right thing for the company, i.e. take all the time you need with your baby.
  - SamSkillz 11y ago
    DOES it put a "lot on her shoulders"? Does it really? At a company as large as Facebook, is there ever really so much riding on any particular person in management? I doubt it.
    - bertil 11y ago
      I’m not familiar enough with the higher management, but yes, there are many incredible people to support both. I suspect that when it comes to dealing with parties like high-level political players, or being the public face of the company, they are unique. I'm noticing Lori Goler's name more in the press; that could be an effort to avoid that. Chris Cox, Boz, Shrep and Jay Parish are all people I wish people knew more about (outside of Hacker News; any regular here not knowing them is a clearly at a loss).
toredash 11y ago
I woukd say 2 months was little, so I'm not really impressed given he could take longer. Not because he is the chwif, but since their policy permits it
Lagged2Death 11y ago
...no matter who you are, prioritizing family over business is an option... "Prioritizing family over business" would be, say, 30-to-40-hour work weeks - or even just staying home, period - for the next 12-to-18 years.

joosters 11y ago

But he's not, after all he could have taken four months but chose not to.

jsprogrammer 11y ago
Did he already return to work?
gdubs 11y ago
He's taking two months "when she arrives", which doesn't exclude taking more time throughout the year...

x5n1 11y ago

Zuck could take the rest of his life off work. And when he's an old man he will wish that he had. But in the mean time the share holders can benefit from his keen.

bbq 11y ago
Can you point me to any historical titans of industry who regret their life's work?
- 13of40 11y ago
  Didn't you ever watch the end of "There Will Be Blood"?
  - qmalxp 11y ago
    Did you?
- o0-0o 11y ago
  Comparing an "ad man" to a "historical titan of industry" sounds a bit fishy to me. Now, if we were talking about Elon Musk, I'd agree!
- x5n1 11y ago
  This guy once gave at talk at my university where he said he regretted not doing a lot of things because he was working and now he was too old to do them because of his health. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Schulich https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Schulich
  - bbq 11y ago
    He sounds like someone who would give a great talk. I can see that happening for sure. I've devoted my life to a lot less before realizing there was more out there. These people put so much time into their work there's little left for a broad life - unless you make some clear boundaries like Mark is doing now. Maybe this will be a one time thing and, as you suggest, he may regret not making more time for other areas of his life. Maybe he'll manage to carve out more time for himself.
  - scott_karana 11y ago
    His book "Get Smarter" is a pretty amusing read, too.
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  I don't buy regret. From what I've read so far, people who worked too much regret not doing things with family, etc. and people who lived bog-standard GenPop family life regret that their life had no meaning. So I guess death is just one big paradox of choice.
PKop 11y ago
He could have done that when he was 19 years old. Obviously....OBVIOUSLY.... Zuck, and Facebook, are what they are because he doesn't agree with your views on his life. How do you know he wouldn't regret stopping work now when he's an old man? You have absolutely no idea. But we can take an educated guess by the motivations and choices he's shown in the past. Which were, to keep working and building his company. Because he probably enjoys it. My grandfather grew up dirt poor. He built a small real estate business on his own, and continues to come to work every day and he's in his 90's. If he was forced to "take the rest of his life off" not just 20 years ago, but even now, he would without question be less happy as result. He enjoys working. Many people do. Especially those who are founders of businesses.
- x5n1 11y ago
  When people get old they don't have much in their life other than their family and work, and many workoholics have only their work, case in point Warren Buffet, that's not proof that they would rather not do anything else. Or would've lived their lives differently if they had the chance, and many of them might be too proud to admit it at this point considering that they will soon be gone. It's just that work is the only thing left that makes them feel useful, wanted, and provides some sense of purpose in their lives. They have been so busy in work they don't know what else to do... nor is their body and brain capable of doing much more than what it has done most of its life. Many rich business people completely quit business and instead do philanthropy, case in point Bill Gates... Zuck's role model? Facebook is not something positive in the lens of history. It's just a big money maker. Maybe it will still be relevant in 20 years, but eventually it will be seen for what it is... as if it's not already. And all that will be left is the money, of which Zuck has more than enough to do much more worthwhile things with his life. Like perhaps philanthropy. Maybe he can really solve some problems before he dies in 40-50 or so years. Of which maybe the 10-20 next ones will be his prime.

oneJob 11y ago

I had a sorta different reaction. I thought, it'd be amazing if everyone at Facebook had the option to take two months off for paternity leave and prioritize family over business without worrying about losing their job or good favor with their supervisor.

blazespin 11y ago
Ahaha. Considering Facebook is rated #1 place to work I am sure it's just fine. Rather, it'd be amazing if you could do this at any workplace.
13of40 11y ago
I had a different one: Two months? If that guy hasn't built his business up to the point where he can take a sabbatical and do right by his family, then there's no hope for the rest of us.
- qmalxp 11y ago
  I suspect it's not so much that he can't take more time off, but that he doesn't want to.
ryderm 11y ago
I doubt that either of these outcomes are likely
sp332 11y ago
How is that different from acangiano's point?
seattle_spring 11y ago
Then prepare to be amazed, because they actually have four months paid paternity leave.
- robotresearcher 11y ago
  I hope the environment is such that people feel they can use it without penalty. Anyone have experience?

SCAQTony 11y ago

...But how long will it take for paternal leave to trickle down to the largest employers in America who pay near or at minimum wage? 1) Wal-Mart Stores 2,200,000 2) Yum! Brands 523,000 3) McDonald's 440,000 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_employers_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_employers_in_t... IMHO a billionaire taking a two-month leave will not inspire a majority of the top 50 employers to allow their male workforce to take 2-months off. YMMV

Turing_Machine 11y ago
This is probably going to get me voted down, but maybe...just maybe...you shouldn't be having kids if the only job you can get is McDonalds or Yum! Brands (i.e., Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, etc.). If you choose to have a child when your resources are that limited, your non-paternity leave is going to be among the least of the child's problems.
- datashovel 11y ago
  Forgive me if I've misunderstood, but are you saying having children and a family is a privilege that should be exclusive to wealthy people? EDIT: I think I have a different opinion on this. I say if a human being in a wealthy nation like USA is only capable of a job that pays minimum wage, this is a problem with the system, and not with the individual. If we just discounted all people for where they have ended up, we will never be curious enough to explore how they got there and how to prevent it in the future.
- pyrophane 11y ago
  I think everyone who works the equivalent of full-time should be able to afford to have children. The fact is, not everyone is going to get out of these low wage jobs, and that doesn't mean they would be bad parents. Have we gone so far as a society towards judging the poor that we don't believe the are fit to reproduce?
- lenkite 11y ago
  Well.. such thinking can be generalized to simply saying: "You shouldn't be LIVING, if you are poor. Shoot yourself now because you cannot afford life and you are wasting resources of the rich on this planet with your sorry, poverty-stricken soul"

wobbleblob 11y ago

What kind of message does it send? Take two months off when you could afford to retire? If I were in his shoes, I'd sell my shares in that website, take a few years off and then go a little Bill Gates, a little Elon Musk. I guess this is why I'm not a successful businessman.

incepted 11y ago
> If I were in his shoes, I'd sell my shares in that website Probably why you're not.
- nichochar 11y ago
  interesting! I wonder if you're right, or not. I could see both arguments both ways
  - sahaj 11y ago
    There's the proof.
- wobbleblob 11y ago
  Exactly what I said in the last sentence of my post. Thank you for your contribution though.
keerthiko 11y ago
Unlike Microsoft was to Bill Gates, Facebook seems to embody Mark's lifelong ideologies (connecting everyone in the world). He has often said he doesn't see himself doing anything with his life other than building the future of Facebook, just in a different form if Facebook hadn't taken off. On the other hand Gates just hit the lottery on one of the projects he worked on related to a field he was good at, when what he seems to really care about is more grassroots philanthropy work. If he could take two months off he could probably take a few years off, but he would probably just be itching to go back to work on FB the whole time.
- 11y ago

sanoli 11y ago

Doesn't facebook gives dads four months leave? the message here could be hey, taking the full leave might make you look like lazy, the boss only took two months.

bertil 11y ago
You can take them in several periods. In Mark’s case, a long contiguous departure puts a lot on Sheryl Sandberg’s shoulders; she recently lost her husband and has children of her own, so that might not be ideal. Internally, Mark’s work ethic is… known to be high, and less a model than the many other employees who become parents. Because employees tend to be Facebook-friends with everyone they know internally, you see a lot of baby-photo pictures: that has far more impact on your perception of what is explicitly told to be the right thing for the company, i.e. take all the time you need with your baby.
- SamSkillz 11y ago
  DOES it put a "lot on her shoulders"? Does it really? At a company as large as Facebook, is there ever really so much riding on any particular person in management? I doubt it.
  - bertil 11y ago
    I’m not familiar enough with the higher management, but yes, there are many incredible people to support both. I suspect that when it comes to dealing with parties like high-level political players, or being the public face of the company, they are unique. I'm noticing Lori Goler's name more in the press; that could be an effort to avoid that. Chris Cox, Boz, Shrep and Jay Parish are all people I wish people knew more about (outside of Hacker News; any regular here not knowing them is a clearly at a loss).

toredash 11y ago

I woukd say 2 months was little, so I'm not really impressed given he could take longer. Not because he is the chwif, but since their policy permits it

Lagged2Death 11y ago

...no matter who you are, prioritizing family over business is an option... "Prioritizing family over business" would be, say, 30-to-40-hour work weeks - or even just staying home, period - for the next 12-to-18 years.