Facebook just announced a whole set of 'Paid Family Leaves' because every employee needs family time

Facebook has just rolled out a whole set of paid leaves for its employees factoring in the need for every individual to cater to their personal needs while balancing their professional responsibilities.

The social networking giant has decided to give 6 weeks of "paid family leaves" to employees who need to care for an ailing family member. At a time when half of America's biggest companies refuse to reveal their family leave policies, Facebook's move is being seen as a new benchmark for companies around the world to follow.

The company is instituting paid family sick time — 3 days to care for a family member with a short-term illness, such as a child with the flu, and paid family leave, which allows employees to take up to 6 weeks of paid leave within a rolling 12-month period to be with an ill family member.

Interestingly, this move comes at a time when federal law guarantees workers unpaid leave for up to 12 weeks. Only four states in the US paid family leave. Bereavement leave is also limited - Merely 6 out of 10 private sector workers get paid time off after the death of a loved one, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Facebook employees, on the other hand, have a reason to rejoice. They will now be getting 20 days of bereavement leave, double the previous number. This new policy was announced by the company's COO Sheryl Sandberg via a Facebook post - "We're extending bereavement leave to give our employees more time to grieve and recover and will now provide paid family leave so they can care for sick family members as well. Only 60 percent of private sector workers in the United States get paid time off after the death of a loved one and usually just a few days," noted Sandberg on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

Sandberg – whose husband died after suffering head trauma caused by falling off a treadmill during a vacation in Mexico in May 2015 – said - "This is personal for me. I lost my husband very suddenly. Facebook provided leave and flexibility, and now we’re doing more." The Facebook executive said this while making the announcement at the Makers conference in California recently.

Meanwhile, she wrote in her Facebook post - "People should be able both to work and be there for their families. We need public policies that make it easier for people to care for their children and aging parents and for families to mourn and heal after loss."

As the chorus for paid family leaves is growing, Facebook has paved the way for others. It remains to be seen who will be the next in adoption this and showing care for their employees.