Apple unveils new back-to-work policy for new parents

Going back to work after you’ve had a kid, or kids, can be pretty rough. But some companies out there try to make the transition back to the work day a little easier, and Apple is making some changes in that regard.

Fast Company has the report on Wednesday, detailing some big changes that Apple is rolling out for new parents that are coming back to work for the company. The biggest of the changes is for a new parent that comes back to work after their allotted time off, giving them the ability to essentially set their own schedule, and work part-time hours while still getting paid full-time wages.

The new rules will be in place for all new parents, including those who foster and/or adopt children.

Speaking of adoption, Apple is looking to help in this regard, too. It’s changing is current policy and maximizing the amount of money it will provide to off-set adoption costs — up to $14,000.

Apple has also expanded leave for adoptive parents by four weeks, along with almost tripling its financial assistance for families that choose to adopt. (The adoption process costs some families hundreds of thousands of dollars. Apple now offsets those costs by $14,000.) Adoptive parents will have access to an additional four weeks of paid time off through Paid Family Care, a benefit the company provides for family illness. “There’s more administration and complexity around adding to your family via adoption,” O’Brien says.

That’s not all, though. The company is also making changes to its mental health policies as well. Now, moving forward, employees will have access to new telemedicine options for more flexibility to access. Apple will also be doubling the number of free mental health counseling sessions an employee gets every year.

These gradual get back to work initiatives are starting to crop up a bit more from companies like Salesforce and Pinterest, among others. There’s definitely still a lot of areas where companies can do better in this regard, but this is a step in the right direction at least.