Microsoft giving 3-months paid parental leave to help kids study at home

San Francisco, April 10 (IANS): Microsoft has announced three-months paid parental leave for its workers are schools are shut and parents are learning to cope with children taking online classes at home.

According to a CNN report on Friday, the tech giant has given two options to its workforce: Take a 12-week leave at one go or few days in a week.

Microsoft has called this initiative “12-Week Paid Pandemic School and Childcare Closure Leave” which is meant to “give our employees greater flexibility and time off as they face extended school closures”.

Global tech companies with deep cash reserves have announced some measures to help their workforce.

Facebook last month said it would give $1,000 to each of its 45,000 employees.

Its CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in an internal memo that all employees will earn at least their full bonuses for their six-month review.

Most governments around the world have temporarily closed educational institutions in an attempt to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to UNESCO.

These nationwide closures are impacting over 91 per cent of the world’s student population. Several other countries have implemented localised closures impacting millions of additional learners.

“UNESCO is supporting countries in their efforts to mitigate the immediate impact of school closures, particularly for more vulnerable and disadvantaged communities, and to facilitate the continuity of education for all through remote learning,” it said.