Elon Musk cuts down parental leave of Twitter employees from 20 weeks to 14 days: Report

Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter and well-known figure in the tech industry, has reduced parental leave for his employees from 20 weeks down to just 14 days, according to internal documents reviewed by New York Times Tech Reporter Kate Conger. The two weeks of paid leave will be topped up to meet the minimum requirements of the region where the employees work. This means that in most states where paid leave is not required by law, new mothers and fathers would only receive a maximum of two weeks off.

The move has been met with criticism from various quarters, including a nonprofit group advocating for paid leave, former employees, and Twitter users. According to a report from the Daily Mail, Dawn Huckelbridge, founding director of Paid Leave for All, stated that "paid leave is a proven boost to business and bottom lines, and a lifeline to working families. But this decision is more proof that we can't rely on the private sector to ever solve this problem - we need a federal program to guarantee paid leave for all working people."

Former employees criticise Musk

Former Twitter employee Tina Forrest, who oversaw US leave of absence (LOA) and rolled out the 20-week policy in 2016, expressed disappointment, saying that "I am so sorry to hear of the amazing policies/programs that are being dismantled." Another ex-employee, Megan Anderson, pointed out that under the new policy, she would only receive two weeks of leave despite living in a state that does not require employers to provide any time off.

"So let me get this straight... as an ex-Tweep who lives in MO – a state that doesn't require employers to give any time off – I would only get 2 weeks under this new policy? Also, how does this not breach the acquisition deal of protecting benefits for 1 year after close?" she wrote on Twitter. 

The reduction of parental leave is just the latest controversial move made by Musk since taking on the role of CEO of Twitter. While the change affects only a small number of employees, it has highlighted the lack of federal protection for paid leave in the US.