The program is designed not only for biological parents, but also for adoptive parents, foster parents and gay couples. All employees who are non-biological parents are entitled to six weeks of fully paid leave from the time they start taking care for the child, regardless of the age of the child.
Microsoft employees who are ill have already been allowed to use up to 30 fully paid sick days in the calendar year. For the first three days, they don't even need a medical certificate.
Now Microsoft supports employees who take care of their relatives with serious health conditions. Employees are now allowed to use 20 fully paid working days to take care of a child, spouse, partner, parents, grandparents or siblings who are seriously ill.
The New World of Work
In recent years, Microsoft has been promoting the concept of working from anywhere. In October 2015, the Czech branch of Microsoft and its Skype development division in Prague moved to new office premises tailored for these purposes. The wider project of flexible work, including the "Family Leave" program is called the New World of Work. 
The Prague Microsoft offices are four interconnected "hubs" - co-working spaces designed for meetings, cooperation, teamwork and relaxation. These are linked by an open staircase that facilitates communication and sharing between teams. Variable work spaces for different types of activities, teamwork, meetings and unplanned events are connected to the hubs, too.
Microsoft Czech Republic internal study confirmed that the use of state-of-the-art tech tools and flexible working arrangements brings significant improvements in key areas such as the following.
- Employee satisfaction increased by 10% year on year, with flexibility creating a better work-life balance for 84% of employees (compared to 57% before the change).
- The number of employees who consider their team and themselves to be high-performing thanks to the new environment and technologies has grown from less than half to three quarters.
- 8 out of 10 employees confirmed that the new environment strengthens innovation and sharing (an increase of 44%, respectively 50% ).
- And all this is taking place on an area that is nearly a fifth smaller than the original office premises.
- The costs of telecommunications, traveling and office supplies have fallen since the launch of the project.
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