The United States is one of just two developed nations — along with New Guinea — to not provide paid benefits to women on maternity leave, according to the International Labor Organization. At least three of the Upstart 25 companies found this unacceptable.
Canadian-born CEO Lorna Borenstein is the founder of Grokker, an on-demand video platform for fitness enthusiasts. Borenstein explains the benefits of her native country’s policy on paid family leave.
“Let’s face it,” Borenstein tells CNBC. “We can’t be productive back at work when we are sleep deprived or yearning for bonding with a new baby we haven’t had sufficient time with.”
The founders of CNBC Upstart 25 companies Dia&Co and Nima expressed similar sentiments and added their belief that secondary caregivers should receive paid leave, too.
“We find that providing both parents with leave makes it clear that no employee needs to worry about potential professional setbacks should they choose to take leave,” Dia&Co founder Nadia Boujarwah says. “This should be the norm, not the exception.”
