What’s a crucial element of supporting working moms? Supporting working dads. Offering benefits that allow dads to meaningfully engage with and rear their children helps to more equitably distribute caregiving responsibilities at home—meaning moms, like dads, can continue growing their careers while being parents. Add to that the fact that supporting working dads makes policies more inclusive of LGBTQ+ families, and intentionally bolstering dad support is a win-win.
Which benefits should be first on the list? For Father’s Day, we asked dads at our partner companies to share the benefits at their companies that help to support their wellbeing and work-life balance. Dads say these four standouts help them stay healthy, support their families, and remain happy at work.
Read more: 16 Companies Where Moms Say Their Wellbeing Is Supported
4 company benefits that make dads better—and healthier—working parents
1. Paid paternity leave to bond with their kids
“As a first-time father and twin dad, I have been met with understanding from everyone at the company. VTS offered generous time off for paternity leave so that I could be my wife’s number-one support during her tough c-section recovery. In my transition back to work, the team has been understanding if I ever need to bring a baby on call for a short time when my wife needs to focus on the other twin. Working from home helps me get glimpses of my twins’ days when I can step away for a few minutes to enjoy their smiles.” —Artur Gaca, Product Manager, VTS
“Seven Seas Water Company has always been interested in employee feedback and ways to improve the quality of life for all. Firstly, I'm grateful for the implementation of the four weeks paid parental leave. This showed appreciation for both parents and recognizing the significance of a father's role in early nurturing and support.” —Lester Bryan, Lead Project Engineer, Seven Seas Water Company
“Palo Alto Networks has supported me massively, and without a doubt, I celebrate that this was the best move for me. Even though under UK law I was not yet entitled to paid paternity leave when I joined, Palo Alto Networks gave it to me and I was expected to take it. I have two sons now, and I am in awe of the flexibility and support there is here. If I need to do school drop off, visit for parents evening or need to go to the doctors, there is no need to take time off for these sorts of things. The support is second to none, and everyone helps each other out. It's a great working environment.” —Lee Harrigan-Green, Systems Engineer, Palo Alto Networks
2. Flexible work hours to juggle it all
“As a proud father who has never missed a milestone in my daughter's life, I can attest to the fact that spending quality time with your child every day is crucial. For my daughter and I, that means feeding ducks, riding around in our golf cart, and having breakfast and lunch together. Being a parent is a full-time job, but as a working dad, balancing that job with a career can be a challenge. Thanks to the support and flexibility offered by Procore Technologies, I can prioritize my family and maintain a healthy work-life balance.” —TJ Forbes, Sr. Solutions Engineer, Overlay, Procore Technologies
“Flexibility and a hybrid schedule. It helps a lot being able to take your son to school at times and to be home in case of an emergency. Plus, I don't have to drive an hour to work every day.” —Chris Manzo, CAD, Seven Seas Water Group
“The flexibility at Palo Alto Networks allows me to support my wife with things that would otherwise require extra overhead—for instance, watching the kids briefly for appointments or helping out during my lunch breaks. My advice to other working parents is to always keep focus on the important things, and the rest will fall into place.” —Andrew Murret, Sr. Technical Support Engineer, Focused Services, XSOAR, Palo Alto Networks
3. Unlimited or generous paid time off to rest and recharge
“JupiterOne does so much to make my life as a parent the best it can be! I think my favorite experience so far has been when I was able to take my 2 year old to Disneyland! With the unlimited PTO and vacation reimbursement, we were empowered to take a trip that we would normally not even consider! I'm proud to work in an environment where all of my peers and leaders have helped reinforce the importance of putting our loved ones first.” —Carter Hesterman, Director of Engineering, JupiterOne
“Being a Dad to two very energetic young boys is pretty cool and also the most important role I'll ever be bestowed! I'm thankful Hyperproof is flexible, trusting, and constantly evolving to make it easier on working parents and employees trying to balance it all. As a sales rep working with folks in many global time zones, I'm super excited and looking forward to Hyperproof's mandatory ‘Hypercharge Week’ the first week in July to rest, enjoy family time, and recharge myself! And nothing is better than a leadership team who reminds and encourages you to take a breather and use up some of that unlimited PTO!” —Cort Wehmann, Enterprise Account Executive, Hyperproof
4. A culture that puts people and their wellbeing first
“One of our core tenants is to be human-centric. I see that play out in the content we produce, in the way our teams interact, and also in the way we treat the working parents that make up a good percentage of our company. As a father of two under 3, The Looma Project has consistently supported me through the inconsistencies in this stage of life. I've had the flexibility and the team support to deal with the seemingly ever-present daycare sickness, the impromptu pickups, and the delayed start ‘Dads & Donuts’ sessions. Looma has supported my wellbeing as a parent, which I'm grateful for on a weekly basis.” —Micah Phenix, Operations Manager for Network Operations, The Looma Project
“We are in the business of providing wellness through each product we design and sell. Whether that's physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, wellness is thought of in all we do at Watkins Wellness. So naturally this mindset rolls over into our culture and affects how we see everyone beyond what we can contribute in our roles. Watkins supports me in many ways, whether it is taking time off to when I need to be with my family, flexible work-from-home, or community involvement. It is valued that we all have families, hobbies, and activities outside of work that brings us life and balance, and we are encouraged to pursue those things and not neglect our wellbeing.” —Mike Zook, Vice President, Sales, Watkins Wellness
“Becoming a parent for the first time this past year was simultaneously one of the most rewarding and stressful experiences of my life. Not long after our son arrived, I struggled with balancing my family and my work. At Procore Technologies, we’re constantly reminded about how we need to check our priorities and put the people we love first. These aren’t just words. It’s actions that start at the very top of the company and permeate throughout the organization. I feel incredibly fortunate to work at a place that walks the walk when it comes to creating a healthy work-life balance.” —Greg Adams, Regional Sales Director, Canada, Procore Technologies
