This is a little unfair. I agree with you in spirit, but this policy is pretty damn close: note that "primary caregiver" leave is also a full 16 weeks. I've se

This is a little unfair. I agree with you in spirit, but this policy is pretty damn close: note that "primary caregiver" leave is also a full 16 weeks. I've seen companies move away from "maternity" vs. "paternity" terms and just talk about "primary caregiver" and "secondary caregiver". Which not only gets away from the gender-specific career costs, but also covers non-birth parents (e.g., adoption, surrogates).[1] In other words, the father[2] is more than able to step into the primary caregiver role and allow the mother to return to work and minimize career impact. Now, there's a separate argument that both parents should get equal time off. I agree with that view as well, but it's a different philosophical argument. Finally, I would be interested to know if there's a tenure requirement for parental leave at Basecamp. It's often 12 months "vesting", which is a bummer for those with children on the horizon. I recently switched jobs and had a kid: I gave up an 8-week parental leave benefit at my old company for no benefit whatsoever at the new one. I made the decision that the cost (losing the benefit) was worth the opportunity, but I could see others deferring a job change in that instance. This is a rather insidious form of Family Responsibilities Discrimination that adds a career cost to both men and women (and moreso for women). [1] Traditional maternity policies are often focused on the medical aspects of childbirth rather than newborn bonding and care. [2] Replace with other terms as appropriate.