AmEx Unveils a Big Weapon in the Parental Leave Arms Race

In a move to boost recruitment and retention while keeping up with the corporate Joneses, American Express Co. said it will offer 20 weeks of paid leave to any U.S. employee of either gender who has a child through any means, including adoption and surrogacy. Birth mothers will get an additional six to eight weeks of paid medical leave on top of that.

The announcement is a huge leap forward by the credit card company, since it currently makes separate provisions for primary and secondary caregivers of six and two weeks’ paid leave, respectively.

As companies like AmEx compete for ...