Cinthia Shields' daughter Kristal was having a difficult pregnancy, so when the twins came a little early, the grandmother hopped on a plane to Phoenix, Arizona. She was able to look after her first granddaughter, Kora, while the parents focused on the newborns in the hospital.

Shields, 60, used a rare benefit in corporate America. Her employer, cybersecurity company SentinelOne, gave her five days' paid leave reserved for employees who are also grandparents. She was then able to resume her work remotely while the new parents got organized. "I wasn't under any pressure," she said gratefully. "I felt morally and financially supported by my company."

These special leaves are especially welcome in America, where vacation time is limited. They are not tied to any legal obligation, as everything hinges on the company's goodwill. For example, private-sector employees regularly enjoy around ten or 15 days off per year. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), only 71% of employees in companies with fewer than 50 employees had access to leave in 2021. After ten years on the job, 33% of industry employees enjoyed between 15 and 19 days, and 17% more than 24 days.

"We try to meet the needs of our entire workforce," explained Divya Ghatak, SentinelOne's Director of Human Resources (HR). "I first worked on maternity leave. I extended them to 16 weeks." Ghatak then eliminated gender distinction: Men and women now benefit from the same childcare leave. Then, she extended maternity coverage to grandparents. "They, too," she insisted, "are part of the workforce. And they have their own needs." SentinelOne's management is striving to have a diverse workforce. 15% of employees are over 50, and Ghatak is eager to keep these experienced employees. "Hiring and training a new employee is expensive," she noted. "Our business will grow faster if we retain experienced staff."

So far, only a handful of SentinelOne employees have used grandparent leave. This scheme, noted Mercer Group consultant Rich Fuerstenberg, is "a niche program" meant to cater to an increasingly diverse workforce. It's also a tool for recruiting and retaining its troops. "The job market is still tight," he said. "And this kind of à la carte benefit allows us to differentiate ourselves from other employers."

This argument is well understood by Mercer's regional branches in Australia and New Zealand. "Before Covid-19, we set ourselves apart from other companies by being super flexible," recalled Gaye Morris, the HR manager at Mercer. But with the epidemic, almost all companies adopted at least partially remote working.

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