T-Mobile offers workers paid parental leave

T-Mobile started offering its employees paid parental leave this week, the company confirmed Thursday.

Communication Workers of America, a communications and labor union, was first to announce the company’s expanded benefit, which it said is in response to growing public pressure and local government initiatives.

{mosads}“We’re always listening directly to our employees and finding ways to enhance employment practices without the need for a third-party filter,” T-Mobile said in a statement to The Hill. “We’re proud to be recognized year after year as a ‘Best Place to Work’ and ‘Top Employer’ by industry experts and continue to make positive improvements for our call center employees, none of whom are represented by a union.”

CWA said T-Mobile also announced plans this week to end a policy that requires call center workers to be on the phone 96.5 percent of their work time, leaving them with virtually no time to follow up on customer issues or make changes in customers’ accounts as needed.

“This is great news for workers who often must struggle to balance family and career,” the union said in a statement. “It comes as workers at T-Mobile US and a coalition of community supporters in cities like Albuquerque, N.M., step up efforts to restore a fair workweek and achieve other improvements for workers.”

T-Mobile said the paid leave benefit, which it started offering on July 1, is available to full-time and part-time employees after they’ve completed six months of active employment.