Tilson updates employee leave policies, including expanded benefits for new parents
Photo / Tim Greenway
Joshua Broder, CEO of Tilson, says the company's new employee leave policies will give workers "the valuable time they need with their families at critical times in their lives." He cited that new policy, as well as the company's partnership with the Maine Quality Centers in developing apprenticeship programs, in his testimony Tuesday before a U.S. House of Representatives' Workforce Subcommittee.
Tilson, the fast-growing network deployment and IT professional services firm based in Portland, on Tuesday announced several new and improved employee leave policies, including expanded benefits for all new parents regardless of gender.
The revised parental leave policy, which the company says is industry-leading, offers up to 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave for primary parental caregivers and up to four weeks of fully paid intermittent leave for non-primary parental caregivers. It covers biological and surrogate births, as well as foster or adoption events.
It was one of several policies announced internally on March 18 and backdated for all employees to the start of 2019.
"We strongly believe our improved leave policies will afford current Tilson employees the valuable time they need with their families at critical times in their lives," said Joshua Broder, Tilson's CEO and a 2018 Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year in the large-business category, in a news release."Tilson is committed to providing the flexibility to team members while continuing to support dynamic career opportunities and development."
Upon returning to work, Tilson's "Super Hero Lounge" at company headquarters in Portland is designed to offer a private, secure and comfortable space to accommodate nursing moms.
Besides the new parental leave policy, the revised policies include the following:
- Gradual return to work: A new benefit in 2019, Tilson will provide a fully paid gradual return to work for up to three weeks for employees who have experienced long absences in excess of 12 weeks due to parental leave or return to work from a disability approved situation;
- Military leave: Tilson's military policy will now allow for paid military leave to increase its recruiting and retention of currently serving members of the Reserve and National Guard. Military leave will be offered in a full-paid status for up to 15 days of leave with accompanying orders per year.
- Caregiver provision: Another new benefit in 2019, Tilson will include a caregiver leave of absence provision for non-Family Medical Leave Act eligible employees that allows eligible employees in their first year of employment two unpaid weeks of leave to care for an immediate family member.
"Tilson is modernizing benefits to better align with the needs of an ever-evolving and high-performing workforce," said Adria Horn, Tilson's vice president of workforce. "We strongly believe that our new leave policies will provide more meaningful support to our incredible teams working across the country as they juggle growing families, varied work schedules, continued military service to our nation and the ongoing demands of work-life integration."
Tilson has 183 employees in Maine and estimates that 140 work in Portland. With on-site positions for clients, flexible working arrangements and frequent travel, the average number of employees working in the Portland office is about 80, according to Kat Chittenden, Tilson's marketing and design manager.
She says the company currently has 80 nationwide job openings and 20 open positions in Portland.
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