Jacksonville company offers 12 weeks of paid paternal leave

Crowley Maritime ranks in top 10% of US employers with new benefits, study finds

Crowley employee and father, Ezra Clark, with his family (Photo courtesy: Crowley Maritime Corporation)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Crowley Maritime Corporation has adopted a family leave program that offers 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, the Jacksonville company recently announced.

The new policy includes birth mothers, spouses or committed partners, employees who have adopted a child, and employees who have been placed with a foster child. 

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"We know that the becoming a new parent is a watershed event in lives of our employees. This policy demonstrates that our company is committed to supporting employees so they may develop their careers while supporting their health and families,” said Tom Crowley, chairman and CEO. “Not only is a family-friendly environment valued by employees, it also makes our company better by increasing engagement, motivation and productivity.”

In a news release, Crowley said, it now ranks in the top 10 percent of U.S. employers with new parental leave benefits, according to the 2016 National Study of Employers by the Society of Human Resource Management. 

The study shows that this is not common among a lot of companies nationwide. 

“It really means a lot that the company supports me and other employees as new parents. It keeps our family life more stable. I can be there for the important medical events and treatments for our son, Kingston, and know we have the time together, full benefits and the resources that we need during this period,” said Ezra Clark, 38, a business analyst in information technology with Crowley. “It was very simple to work with our company to plan for the leave time that I need to spend with my son and wife.”

Crowley told News4Jax that the program, which began this spring, applies to all U.S. full-time short-side employees, including about 950 in Jacksonville locations.


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