Dive Brief:
- Arkansas-based Tyson Foods has rolled out paid parental leave for all U.S. employees, it announced Jan. 31.
- The company’s leave program includes eight weeks of paid leave for the primary caregiver and two weeks paid leave for U.S. team members whose spouse or partner gave birth. Adoptive parents receive four weeks’ leave, according to the announcement.
- The leave is part of a broader $20 million investment in wellbeing benefits, the employer said, which includes free, online mental health support to U.S. team members and their dependents at no cost. “The new offerings reinforce our commitment to ensuring we offer equitable and market competitive programs to our team members and align with our vision to become the most sought-after place to work,” Johanna Soderstrom, Chief People Officer, said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Employee wellbeing has been a top focus for benefits professionals in recent years. It’s been used as a strategy for retention and to attract new talent, and it’s what workers continue to demand, according to a series of recent surveys.
For example, 8 in 10 workers who responded to a survey by research agency Opinium said they would feel more supported if their employer were to sponsor wellness, with Gen Z and millennials showing the most interest. Parents expressed a desire for programs centered around mindfulness, meditation and mental wellbeing.
Mental health, in particular, has emerged as an area of concern, a wellbeing leader for WTW recently told HR Dive. A 2022 WTW survey of employers found that 67% said they planned to make mental health and emotional wellbeing programs one of their top three priorities over the next three years.
Financial education has also become a sought-after benefit. Nearly 9 in 10 employees who responded to a recent survey by online savings platform Vestwell said their employer should be involved in retirement education. Employers who work with financial advisors similarly listed employee financial literacy and employee investment recommendations as issues they wished advisors would address.
Tyson’s expanded benefits touch on the issue, as have other recent investments. In 2021 and 2022, Tyson gave approximately $50 million in year-end bonus to front-line and hourly workers. The 2021 bonuses followed child care support Tyson provided workers and incentive payments it gave vaccinated employees.
These enhanced benefits came on the heels of a rocky few years for Tyson due to controversies that erupted during the pandemic, including a November 2020 wrongful death lawsuit by the family of a worker who died after being infected with COVID-19. Tyson denied the claims and the litigation is ongoing.
