• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
MPWMost Powerful Women

IBM Is Giving Its New Moms and Dads Even More Perks

Claire Zillman
By
Claire Zillman
Claire Zillman
Editor, Leadership
Down Arrow Button Icon
Claire Zillman
By
Claire Zillman
Claire Zillman
Editor, Leadership
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 25, 2017, 8:00 AM ET

IBM on Wednesday is increasing its existing parental leave and introducing a policy that reimburses employees for surrogacy expenses for the first time.

The paid maternity leave available to new birth mothers employed at the tech giant will increase from a maximum of 14 weeks to 20 weeks. Fathers, partners, and adoptive parents, meanwhile, will receive 12 paid weeks off—double the previous benefit of six.

The Armonk, N.Y.-based company is also offering employees a reimbursement of up to $20,000 for expenses related to adoption or surrogacy; it previously offered $5,000 for adoptions only. The new reimbursement will be available to employees even if their adoption or surrogacy efforts are unsuccessful, allowing workers to pursue parenthood “without devastating their bank accounts,” Barbara Brickmeier, IBM’s vice president of benefits, told Fortune.

She said the new benefits reflect the company’s realization that “no one size fits all.”

“We have a general approach of wanting to meet employees where they are,” she said. “People are forming families in various ways.” She pointed to the new surrogacy reimbursement in particular as benefiting both straight and same-sex parents. She said employees had asked for the perk.

Subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.

This marks the second time in as many years that IBM has sweetened its parental benefits. In 2015, it increased its maternity leave from a maximum of eight weeks to 14 and bumped its paternity leave from five days to six weeks. At the time, IBM (IBM) introduced a policy that allowed new parents to take their allotted time off intermittently in the year after their child’s arrival. Employees can use the additional leave introduced on Wednesday in the same way.

Since IBM last boosted its parental perks, other progressively-minded firms battling over the same highly-skilled talent have amped up the parental benefits arms race, prompting Big Blue to re-examine its policy once again.

Read More: The Number of Women Taking Maternity Leave Has Flatlined

In March 2016, online marketplace Etsy introduced a gender-neutral parental leave policy that gives all new parents 26 weeks of paid leave that they can use within two years of welcoming a child.

EY debuted a new parental leave policy in April 2016 that gives new moms and dads up to 16 weeks of fully-paid leave and provides employees with $25,000 for fertility, surrogacy, adoption, and egg freezing services.

In December 2016, American Express introduced a new policy that gives men and women 20 weeks of fully-paid leave upon the arrival of a new child and offers them benefits worth as much as $35,000 for adoption and surrogacy events.

Read More: How New Moms Can Deal With Maternity Leave Bias

“Our market scans were showing us, ‘Hey, something’s happening,'” Brickmeier says. “We really want to be in the top percentile.”

Wednesday’s news comes a week after IBM reported its 22nd consecutive quarter of falling revenue and months after it recalled some of its remote workers to physical office locations, a move aimed at fostering better in-person collaboration that affected roughly 2% of IBM’s global 380,000-person workforce. Brickmeier said the firm’s expanded parental benefits are unrelated to that decision.

In a blog post announcing the new perks, Brickmeier harped on IBM’s work flexibility, which she called a “hallmark of IBM’s culture.”

Read More: British Women Face Increasing Discrimination For Taking Maternity Leave

“Flex-time is available to IBM parents who need to pick up a child from school, go to a doctor’s appointment, or attend a special event,” she said in the post. The company also offers milk delivery for nursing moms who travel on business, childcare discounts, designated parking for expectant mothers, and a $50,000-per-child reimbursement for services related to mental, physical, or developmental disabilities.

IBM’s new parental benefits are—notably—available to all of its U.S. employees—full-time and part-time workers alike. Since the U.S. is the only developed country in the world without any guaranteed paid leave for new parents, only 13% of workers have the benefit, according to 2014 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and access differs starkly based on employee status. Fifteen percent of full-timers receive the perk, versus 5% of part-timers.

About the Author
Claire Zillman
By Claire ZillmanEditor, Leadership
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Claire Zillman is a senior editor at Fortune, overseeing leadership stories. 

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

Best Buy CEO Corie Barry is stepping down: How she went from architect of a comeback to cautionary tale
C-SuiteFortune 500
Best Buy CEO Corie Barry is stepping down: How she went from architect of a comeback to cautionary tale
By Phil WahbaApril 22, 2026
7 hours ago
Photo of (left to right) Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez, Cris Abrego, and Eva Longoria
SuccessWealth
Jeff Bezos once gave Eva Longoria and the admiral behind Osama bin Laden’s capture $100 million—but she says you don’t need wealth to give back
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 21, 2026
2 days ago
Connie and Steve Ballmer pose and smile
Successphilanthropy
Billionaire Connie Ballmer just donated $80 million to support NPR after Trump cut $1.1 billion from public broadcasting
By Jacqueline MunisApril 20, 2026
2 days ago
Karen Carter
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives gained and lost power this week
By Fortune EditorsApril 17, 2026
5 days ago
She learned accounting before she was a teenager. Now she’s bringing Wall Street to the blockchain
NewslettersMPW Daily
She learned accounting before she was a teenager. Now she’s bringing Wall Street to the blockchain
By Sheryl EstradaApril 17, 2026
5 days ago
Emma Grede—the self-made millionaire behind the $5 billion Skims empire—says it all began with an audacious cold call to Kris Jenner: ‘The difference between me and someone else is, I made it happen’
SuccessHow I made my first million
Emma Grede—the self-made millionaire behind the $5 billion Skims empire—says it all began with an audacious cold call to Kris Jenner: ‘The difference between me and someone else is, I made it happen’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 16, 2026
6 days ago

Most Popular

The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
Real Estate
The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
By Sydney LakeApril 21, 2026
1 day ago
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
Economy
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
By Jim EdwardsApril 22, 2026
17 hours ago
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
Politics
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
By Catherina GioinoApril 21, 2026
1 day ago
John Ternus, the man stepping into Tim Cook and Steve Jobs' shoes, is a 25-year Apple veteran with zero LinkedIn posts
C-Suite
John Ternus, the man stepping into Tim Cook and Steve Jobs' shoes, is a 25-year Apple veteran with zero LinkedIn posts
By Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressApril 21, 2026
1 day ago
$166 billion in tariff refunds just became available, but small businesses may already be at a disadvantage
Law
$166 billion in tariff refunds just became available, but small businesses may already be at a disadvantage
By Sasha RogelbergApril 20, 2026
2 days ago
Palantir published a mini manifesto calling some cultures ‘harmful’ and ‘middling’ and said Silicon Valley has ‘a moral debt’ to the U.S.
AI
Palantir published a mini manifesto calling some cultures ‘harmful’ and ‘middling’ and said Silicon Valley has ‘a moral debt’ to the U.S.
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 22, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.