Labor Day 2015 deals, discounts and freebies from Best Buy, Macy's, Orbitz and more

Labor Day 2015 is approaching, marking the end of summer and the perfect time for saving money during the three-day weekend. You can expect online and in-store Labor Day deals on everything from travel to clothes to home appliances. Here is a list of some of the best Labor Day sales and freebies you can expect this weekend.

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Marketing veteran Letizia opens agency

Veteran ad man Tom Letizia unveiled LETIZIA AGENCY on Sept. 1 and will partner with Native Rank from Denver, a digital marketing company.

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The truth about running a franchise

WHO hasn’t dreamt of owning a McDonald’s or Dominos. It’s a licence to print money, right? Don’t be so sure. This is the reality of running a franchise.

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Credit Suisse to pay $288 million in damages in Lake Las Vegas refinancing

A district court judge has asked Credit Suisse Group AG to pay $287.5 million in damages to an affiliate of Highland Capital Management, as part of a long drawn breach of contract case.

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Estimated 315,000 people to flock to Las Vegas for Labor Day

Tourism experts are saying the three-day Labor Day weekend that begins Saturday will bring the heat — and it has nothing to do with Las Vegas temperatures.

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IKEA starts to look like finished product — PHOTOS

Letters for IKEA, a Sweden-based furniture seller, went up this week, making the store look more like the finished product.

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Factual Announces Deals With Apple And Facebook For Improved Location Data

Marketers and publishers are just starting to understand that as the cookie was to desktop advertising, location data is to mobile. Location history has evolved into a kind of cookie substitute for mobile advertising. This goes way beyond the archetypal mobile-location use case (“you’re...

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Bing Pushes Microsoft’s Edge Browser When People Search For “Chrome” Or “Firefox”

Tactic of using search for self-promotion is common, but it court hurt Microsoft's case that Google shouldn't favor its own products.

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The State of the American Worker: Not So Good

My 22-year-old son lives at home, and still depends on his old man for spending money. My profoundest fear is that, like Will Ferrell in the "Wedding Crashers," he will never leave the nest.  I'm not alone.

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BizAir Shuttle with three-times weekly Las Vegas service shuts down

BizAir Shuttle, a small airline that offered scheduled air service between Carlsbad, Calif., and Las Vegas since July 30, has discontinued operations.

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Heineken USA Buys Facebook & Twitter Users A Beer In A Bid To Expand its Customer Base

The American arm of the Dutch brewer hopes the social media sampling effort gets its iconic green bottles in some new hands.

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Marketing Day: Snapchat Draws 4B Video Views, Yelp Penalizes 100+ Listings & Smartphone Report

Here's our recap of what happened in online marketing today, as reported on Marketing Land and other places across the web.

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Snapchat Now Draws 4 Billion Video Views Daily

The social messaging and media app enters Facebook territory, doubling its video views in three months.

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How Non-Working Spouses Can Prepare for Retirement

Take advantage of these retirement benefits for one-income families.

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Want Career Stability? 7 Jobs You’ll Probably Never Lose to a Robot

Think about the last time you needed to make a call but didn’t have the number. Did you dial 0 to talk to the operator? Probably not.

That’s because phone operators have been replaced by new technology. The Internet and mobile devices help us find whatever contact information we need with a quick search. In some cases, like online takeout orders and live customer-service chat, this technology eliminates the need to make calls at all.

The pace of technology advancement is speeding up, and with these changes come shifts in the job market. While new jobs are being created, other jobs are disappearing.

Two recent reports (one in 2013 and another in 2014) looked at which sectors of the economy are the most (and least) vulnerable to being taken over by technology.

Using the 2013 research, NPR put together a fascinating tool that predicts the chances your job will be automated in the next 20 years. Chances are editors will be around for a while longer. The projections give us a 5.5% chance of being automated.

On the other hand, bank tellers have a 98% chance of being replaced. If you think about it, this trend began years ago with the introduction of ATMs and online banking.

Among the least replaceable are health and substance abuse social workers, with a 0.3% chance of losing their jobs to technology.

Here are the fields least likely to be automated in the next 20 years, based on current research.

1. Legal Services

While advances in technology mean legal positions no longer include looking up cases in a dusty law library, researchers predict jobs requiring knowledge and experience with the legal system are at low risk of being automated.

However, some workers within this category, like paralegals and legal assistants, are at much higher risk than others, like lawyers and judges.

2. Management

Jobs requiring complex social skills and the ability to prioritize, direct teams and make decisions are less likely to be taken on by computers.

3. Financial Services

While some parts of the financial sector may soon be increasingly automated, more strategic, judgement-based roles will likely stick around.

4. Computing, Engineering and Science

This one’s not a surprise. After all, someone has to create the technology that transforms the economy. The crucial element is the amount of “creative intelligence” these types of jobs require, note the researchers.

However, these workers face the challenge of keeping their skills up to date as the field advances.

5. Education

This field is already being transformed by technology, but the report predicts teachers and other staff will be around for the long haul. As in other fields, these professionals will need to adapt as technology changes.

6. Arts and Media

Creativity is notoriously hard to automate (although computers might be responsible for more web content than you think).

When it comes to creating work to be consumed by humans, the obvious choice is other humans.

7. Health Care

While some lower-level health care positions may be at risk of automation, medical professionals who specialize in management and coordinating care for patients are at low risk of being replaced.

For example, dentists have a 0.4% chance of being replaced, and occupational therapists have a 0.3% chance.

Who’s Most Likely to Be Replaced?

The fields most vulnerable to automation are “Office and administrative support; sales and services; transportation; construction and extraction; and production,” according to the 2014 report.

Some estimates place the number of at-risk jobs as high as 40%, with low-income workers at higher risk than those in the higher income brackets. Highly skilled workers also face a lower risk of automation than their less trained counterparts.

How to Avoid Being Replaced by a Robot

So how do you safeguard your position as technology changes?

The top skills employers look for include digital knowledge, management skills and creativity, according to the authors of the 2014 study. The 2013 research focused on job requirements like people skills, cleverness, negotiation skills and the ability to maneuver in awkward spaces.

Staying competitive may mean seeking out new skills to enhance your current position or preparing to change fields.

If you’re ready to build some new strengths, look for scholarships before you take out costly student loans.

And don’t discount less formal venues for learning new skills. Coursera, Khan Academy and even Stanford offer free courses on everything from coding to creative writing.

Should we take this research as gospel and base our every decision around the findings? No, probably not. Even the researchers acknowledge these are simply predictions, not facts.

However, there’s no denying that technology is changing the world, including the workplace. To stay competitive, workers in all sectors will need to adapt and acquire new skills.

Your Turn: Is your job at risk of being automated? What new skills are you working on?

Lyndsee Simpson is a writer and editor in Washington, D.C. She would love it if a robot could come clean her apartment this weekend.   

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Get More From Your Job: Use It as Training to Start Your Own Business

Rob Goodwin’s seven McDonald’s in Chattanooga, Tennessee, bring in $2.5 million per year, according to the Times Free Press.

He started by working at a McDonald’s he now owns, flipping burgers for $2.35 per hour. McDonald’s success stories like this one are common.

Jitin Choudhury started in a Blimpie sandwich shop at age 16. He worked at two others over the years, and then he was hired to manage a Blimpie. When the owner retired, he bought the business at age 27.

Restaurants provide many opportunities for employees to learn enough to become business owners. But just about any job can be a business training course if you approach it the right way.

Here’s how to turn your job into a paid education on running a business before you quit to go out on your own.

Aim for More Than One Position

Choudhury didn’t just make sandwiches when he was working at his first Blimpie. He focused on learning management skills, which led to the job in the restaurant he eventually bought. Working in more than one part of a business better prepares you to be an owner.

For example, if you write for a magazine and want to own one, you might first apply to work in advertising sales (that’s where the money comes from, after all). Once you’ve built your experience there, try to get a position as an editor to learn that side of the business.

Observe and Ask Questions

When I worked as a carpet cleaner, Pat, one of my co-workers, was always asking the boss questions. How did he get this client? How much do the high-pressure hoses cost? He paid attention to much more than his own work.

When the boss offered to pay for additional training, Pat jumped at the opportunity. Within a few years, he bought the business from the owner with no money down, and over the next few years built it into an even more successful company.

He was just a cleaner for the business before buying it, but he learned as much as he could anyhow. Even if you can’t work in other parts of the business, you can still learn about them.

Learn the Right Lessons

At one of my first jobs, at a pizza place, I watched the owner to learn what I could. He spent little time in the kitchen, working instead on marketing and opening more restaurants.

His reasoning:

“You need to work on the business more than in it, if you want to grow.”

It’s a great idea.

But he also told us to skimp on toppings for pizzas given away as part of a promotion — a terrible idea. A promotion is supposed to introduce new customers to your products or services. I could see these customers were disappointed with what they got, and were unlikely to return.

Even all these years later, I feel I could start a pizza place based on my experience. I learned about every aspect of the business. And, yes, I would limit my time in the kitchen (I could hire others for that part), and impress new customers with my best pizzas.

Not everything your boss does is smart, so pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. Learn the right lessons.

Put In Your Time

In some businesses, you need to put in a fair amount of time to gain the experience necessary to be the owner. And you may need real, on-the-job experience more than classroom education.

Consider Mary McMillan. Her company, Westar Services, makes $5 to $7 million annually with nine tugboats and five water taxis in San Francisco Bay. She was one of the workers before buying the business from her boss. It seems unlikely that a business degree could have prepared her for the unique challenges of this business. Nor would a few weeks of work be enough.

You might learn how to run a hotdog stand in a few days, but you probably need a couple years of experience working in the arts before you feel ready to start or buy a gallery. Put in the time you need to be prepared for your business.

Find Out if the Boss Wants to Sell

If you look online, you’ll find endless buy-out-the-boss stories. If you go this route, you buy an existing stream of income rather than starting from scratch.

And it makes sense for the boss to sell to you if you’ve proven you know your stuff. In fact, if you’re short on cash, he may be the only one willing to sell a business to you with easy financing.

So try to determine if your boss might want to sell in the near future. You may not want to ask directly, because if he doesn’t want to sell, he may think you’re about to leave. But you can subtly ask about his future plans.

Watch Out for Non-Compete Agreements

Many employers require new employees to sign a “covenant not to compete” (CNC), also known as a “non-compete agreement,” as part of the employment contract. These clauses can prohibit you from starting a competing business in the same area for years after you quit, and might even prevent you from working for other companies in the same industry. Clearly, if you want to use a job as a business training course, you should avoid signing one.

“Non-competes tend to limit job mobility, accelerate talent flight and discourage venture-capital investments in areas that enforce them,” reports Investopedia. Some states are even considering laws to prohibit them.

But business owners like these agreements, because they don’t want you to compete with them. Some people even suggest business owners should avoid hiring anyone who might want to be more than an employee. Hiring only unambitious employees might be a short-sighted policy (will they really do the best job?), but it sounds like a common one.

If a job will help you learn about a business, but you have to sign a non-compete contract to get it, at least negotiate reasonable terms. For example, a tax return preparation firm shouldn’t ask you to not start a new tax prep company in the same state. A more reasonable restriction might keep you from opening shop within 10 miles.

Just remember that if you sign it, you have limited your options. Be sure you’re ready to buy out the boss or move away to start your own business.

Make Other Preparations

Experience is great, but you can also prepare in other ways, including:

• Answer the SBA’s 20 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Business
• Subscribe to relevant trade publications
• Read some of the best business books
• Take free online accounting classes

And, of course, start saving money. Even if you’re lucky enough to buy a business with no money down, as Pat did, you’ll still need a financial cushion to handle the ups and downs.

With your paid business training course (your job), and these other preparations, you could soon be ready to start or buy a business.

Your Turn: Would you consider buying out the boss or starting your own business based on your job experience?

Steve Gillman is the author of “101 Weird Ways to Make Money” and creator of EveryWayToMakeMoney.com. He’s been a repo-man, walking stick carver, search engine evaluator, house flipper, tram driver, process server, mock juror, and roulette croupier, but of more than 100 ways he has made money, writing is his favorite (so far).

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4 Components Of The Best Social Media Campaigns

Are you in the throes of planning a social media campaign? Columnist Sonny Ganguly details four key components that will expand your social reach and improve your bottom line.

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GVC wins battle for Bwin.party with $1.67B offer

Bwin.party ditched an agreed deal with 888 on Friday in favor of a higher 1.1 billion pound ($1.67 billion) offer from GVC Holdings, creating a sports betting heavyweight in a sector being reshaped by consolidation.

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What the New Normal for Retirement Looks Like

More seniors are working longer, playing harder and loving every minute of it. 

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6 Tips to Downsize the Smart Way

Simplifying your life can be awfully complicated.


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Which Are Better: ETFs or ETNs?

Exchange-traded notes have unique benefits, but they also come with some unusual risks for investors.

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Yelp Fights Businesses Manipulating Online Reviews With Reputation Warning Alerts

Companies that mislead customers will be issued a "Reputation Warning" on their listing, and all reviews and star ratings will be removed.

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‘Money Cannot Buy What Time Delivers’

As we get older, we often try to use money as a substitute for what we lack in time — but dollars are no match for days. Photo: Nick Page

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to read a wonderful article from Kevin Kelly entitled More Time, More Money. Here’s the idea behind the post:

I’ve traveled extensively for 40 years. In almost every style there is. Been pampered in first class: I remember a time in Bangkok where they put me up in the Grand Orient Hotel on the river and I was assigned a personal butler who sat outside my room awaiting my wishes. I’ve hitchhiked penniless, too. I walked a thousand miles on my feet one trip. Ridden a bicycle across the US, twice. Traveled as a couple in Europe, traveled with a family of five in Asia, travelled in a unwieldy group of 16, been on organized tours — and been on my own years at a stretch. I lived abroad in an old city. Once I was on the move every night for 9 months, and one time flew to Hawaii on a door-prize win! The point is I’ve travelled every way possible, and I’ve learned you need only two things (besides good health): some time and money.

Time and money. So much of life comes down to those two things.

I’ve always liked the way that I explain life to my children. As a child, you usually have plenty of time and plenty of energy, but not much money. As a younger adult, you usually have plenty of energy and plenty of money, but not much time. As an older adult, you usually have plenty of time and plenty of money, but not much energy.

What’s the point? People at various ages often focus on what they don’t have, rather than what they do have.

I’ll use myself as an example. When I was younger, I often fretted about not having enough money for some of the things that I wanted. That left me disappointed. I would have been far better off appreciating the abundance of free time and energy that I had back then.

Today, I often fret about the lack of free time that I have to do things that I want to do. It can leave me disappointed if I let it. I’m usually better off when I appreciate the fact that I have plenty of energy and a healthy income and that time will come.

When you are young you have more time than money. Not having money closes off some travel possibilities (forget Bhutan), and it forces you to go the long way around. With no bucks it may take you longer to get somewhere by local bus, but of course you will still arrive later. Without money your options are limited to where you can stay, or do (no hot air balloons!). Over many years and long stretches on the road, these limited options can feel restrictive, and tiring.

This sums up the challenge of having time but not money. You are limited in terms of what you can do and where you can live, but you have lots of time to invest in terms of digging deep into things and exploring new things.

This reminds me a lot of my travels during the summers when I was in college. I often went on camping / road trips with friends where we would camp at the cheapest possible place, eat peanut butter sandwiches, swim in country ponds, thoroughly explore some rural towns, and so on. Those trips had a much different vibe than the trips I take today with my kids, because back then I didn’t have much money, but without real responsibility I could easily burn away the days.

When you are older, you tend to have more money than time. If you have only a two-week vacation, you need to rush things so you can keep your job. You’ll pay to fly in to the hotspot rather than spend your two weeks in the back of the bus getting there. You’ll pay extra for the express train because it will save you a day — and its clean bathrooms will delight your 12-year-old daughter. Maybe you hire a guide to take you directly to the festival instead of wasting an afternoon wandering around. With money you can eat whatever you desire.

This sounds a lot like our trips today. With the responsibilities I have on my plate, from my professional commitments to my community commitments, from my parenting responsibilities to my tasks as a homeowner, I find it more and more difficult to have spare time.

Yet, at the same time, I’m in good financial shape. I have no outstanding debts. I have some money in savings and in investments. I am moving toward what looks like a secure retirement.

I can “box out” a certain amount of time to spend with my family and on purely fun things within those responsibilities, but it does mean that things are constrained. As much as I would like to, my commitments make it very difficult to just spend three weeks on the road going wherever I feel like going.

So, I substitute money for time, at least in some ways. I’ve flown my family of five to places that we could have driven in order to save us three or four days of road travel, for example. We try to compress “fun” into a relatively small number of days, and that usually means jamming a lot of things into a day, and that means less time for wandering and serendipity.

This isn’t just true when I’m traveling. It’s true in many parts of my life.

For example, when my life started filling with responsibilities, I started substituting those lazy afternoons that I would spend reading a book with a quick stop at the bookstore. I would buy a book with the intent of reading it and I would feel good (at least for a while) having it on my shelf, but the reality was that I just didn’t have the time to read that I once did.

I did the same thing with other hobbies. I wound up with a stack of unplayed video games. I had a closet full of stuff that I bought because I wanted to do something, but I didn’t have the time and it felt like a reasonable substitute.

I tried to substitute money for time – and it didn’t work. Kevin Kelly says it perfectly:

Here is what I learned from 40 years of traveling: Of the two modes, it is far better to have more time than money.

So, why is time better than money? Kevin Kelly:

When you have abundant time you can get closer to core of a place. You can hang around and see what really happens. You can meet a wider variety of people. You can slow down until the hour that the secret vault is opened. You have enough time to learn some new words, to understand what the real prices are, to wait out the weather, to get to that place that takes a week in a jeep.

Again, it’s not just travel. If you have abundant time, you can spend an afternoon getting lost in a great book. You can spend a day fixing the brakes on your own car. You can spend a few weekends constructing a canoe in your living room. You can spend a couple of months backpacking across Europe. You can spend six months walking along the Continental Divide, as my cousin is doing as I write this.

Time enables you to do these things. Money alone cannot quite do it.

Money is an attempt to buy time, but it rarely is able to buy any of the above. When we don’t have time we use money to try to get us to the secret door on time, or we use it avoid needing to know the real prices, or we use money to have someone explain to us what is really going on. Money can get us close, but not all the way.

I have never met anyone on a high-priced tour where everything is provided, who did not tell me, “I wish I had more time.” I have seen millionaires look wistfully at time-rich backpackers and whisper, “I wish I were them.”

I wish I had more time.

Time is the one thing you can give yourself in abundance. It is often the one resource the young own. Ironically, if you exploit your gift of time as you travel, you’ll gain more than any billionaire can. Without exaggeration, you’ll earn experiences that no amount of money can buy. Seriously. Although it tries, money cannot buy what time delivers.

So if you have a choice, travel with more time than money. You’ll be richer.

Kelly’s comments on money and time leave me with a lot to think about.

Right now, my financial goal is complete financial independence. The reason isn’t security. It’s time. That goal is all about divesting myself of my professional responsibilities while still being able to have the income I need to live.

My goal isn’t to sit on a pile of wealth like Scrooge McDuck. My goal is to be able to just spend a week or spend a month or spend a year doing something, then having the freedom to walk away and do something else when the passion fades. My goal is to have the freedom to wander and to dig deep and to see the treasures of life that I probably would never otherwise get to see.

But why not do it now? For me, the biggest reason is my children. They need stability and security as they learn how to interact with the world.

If I were childless? It would be a different situation. In fact, right now, I’d probably consider taking a giant leap with my life, as I already have a solid safety net – not big enough to survive forever, but big enough to survive a few falls.

But let’s back up here. Most of my choices, in the long run, are about time. Right now, at this stage in my life, even if I wanted to, I could not have the broad, open pieces of time that I used to have. I have young children. I have a fair number of community responsibilities.

However, I know those things will fade over the next decade. So, right now, I’m planning ahead for that timeframe. As my many time commitments start to fade, I hope to be close to that level of financial independence that I would need to no longer have to work.

Another point: When I use money to buy a substitute of what time would deliver, it’s usually a pretty bad copy. Buying stuff never adds up to the experience that I wanted. Compressing too much into a vacation day takes away much of the joy of it.

For me, the solution to that problem is to enjoy the simpler things. To me, there’s no real benefit in paying for a substitute for free time because it simply doesn’t measure up. Instead, I look for ways to enjoy the experience of the time I have. Rather than buying a book, I’ll spend that 15 minutes just reading a chapter of a book, for instance. I’ll look for things to love in the mundane, like the feeling of warm sun on my cheeks as I walk our dog.

In the end, it’s really true that money cannot buy what time delivers. So, right now, I’m effectively saving money during a period in my life where I don’t have that kind of time (no matter what I choose) so that, at a later period, I can have that kind of wide open time.

So far, it seems to be working.

The post ‘Money Cannot Buy What Time Delivers’ appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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Capitalizing On The Digital Trail To The Offline Purchase

As more consumers adopt multiple devices, how do you make the most of digital to drive in-store sales? Columnist Adam Weiss explains how you can successfully develop an online-to-offline strategy.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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59 Percent Of Retailers Have Already Started Their Holiday Promotions [Survey]

In addition to starting earlier, retailers are also planning to offer more holiday promotions than last year.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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A Powerful New Tool In The Local Business Toolbox: Content Marketing Is Going Native

Today’s savvy local businesses are breaking into content marketing, but is it enough? Columnist Will Scott explains why pay-to-play native advertising is the up-and-coming way for local businesses to gain traction when it comes to custom content.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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3 Signs Your Rewards Credit Card Is a Waste of Money

Those points and miles might not be worth the cost. 

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A touch of Australia on all airlines

FROM ear buds and amenity kits to kids’ packs and pjs. Meet the Australian company that has become the darling of the aviation industry.

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Want to Have a Baby in the Next Couple of Years? Here’s Where to Get a Job

Netflix’s recent parental leave announcement sparked in-depth conversations about family leave in the United States.

While this issue has been hot for a number of years, companies are taking family leave into their own hands as opposed to relying on (non-existent) government regulations.

First things first: What’s the standard? As a woman who plans to have children in the near future, I’m embarrassed I didn’t know this.

In a nutshell, the U.S. requires companies to offer 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave, but there are famous limitations to this policy. It only benefits new mothers at companies with 50 or more employees, those who have been at their jobs for more than a year. Certain states supplement these federal regulations with their own benefits, like the ability to tack on paid leave using disability insurance.

Compare that to other options worldwide. Lithuania guarantees that women receive 70 days of leave prior to labor and another 56 days after childbirth with 100% pay. Canadians receive 55% of their pay for 17 weeks of maternity leave, and either parent can take an additional 35 weeks unpaid. Swedish parents get a whopping 60 weeks at 80% of their pay.

If you’re starting to think about moving to Sweden, here are 10 companies whose policies are almost as good.

1. Netflix

The streaming service recently announced unlimited leave for up to one year after the birth or adoption of a baby. The policy applies to either parent and employees will receive full pay for the duration of that time — no special forms required.

2. Microsoft

In another recent announcement, Microsoft plans to offer both parents 12 weeks of fully paid leave starting on November 1, 2015.

Birth mothers get an additional paid eight weeks off, plus the chance to use two weeks of paid short-term disability before their due date.

3. Adobe

Also starting November 1, Adobe will offer up to six months of paid maternity leave for birth mothers.

Primary caregivers, such as new parents through childbirth, surrogacy, adoption or foster care, will receive 16 weeks of paid time off. Birth moms get an additional 10 weeks of paid medical leave.

Adobe’s Senior VP of People & Places wrote on the company’s blog,

“Now we will better support all of [our employees], across a spectrum of age, gender and experience, with a diverse mix of family needs and situations. The investment is unquestionably worth it.”

4. Google

Birth mothers receive 18 weeks of fully paid leave and primary caregivers receive 12 weeks. According to Google’s benefits page, new parents also receive “some extra spending money.”

The even better news is that when you take leave you’ll not only receive full pay, but benefits and continued vesting stock. If you’re really lucky — and loaded — there’s also the dream of enrolling your child in Google’s daycare or preschool programs.

5. Facebook

Another tech company offering awesome leave for both parents!

Facebook employees can take 17 weeks of parental leave, spread out or taken all at once over one year after a birth or adoption. The company also offers employees $4,000 to spend on their children, subsidized day care and egg freezing.

There’s speculation that this generous policy is due to the younger-skewing age range of tech employees, helped by the fact that Mark Zuckerberg’s wife is expecting a baby. I wonder if he’ll take the full 17 weeks off?

6. Twitter

While Twitter’s leave mostly benefits birth mothers, who receive up to 20 weeks of leave with full pay, fathers and adoptive parents receive up to 10 weeks off for “bonding time.”

The company also hosts “‘New Moms and Moms-to-Be’ roundtables every quarter where women who are leaving for or returning from parental leave can get together to share questions, concerns, and best practices,” reports The Atlantic.

7. Thumbtack

This growing startup offers 16 weeks of fully paid leave to primary caregivers and six weeks to secondary caregivers.

“Employees should feel like they have the support of their employers to bond with their new child(ren) without the stress of feeling like their jobs are being jeopardized,” the company (full disclosure: my old employer) told me.

“Parental leave is essential to help parents transition back to work. Research also shows that paid leave is beneficial for all parties involved.”

8. DLA Piper

One of the few non-tech companies embracing parental leave, global law firm DLA Piper offers equal time off for both parents at 16 weeks of fully paid leave.

9. Patagonia

The outdoor clothing and gear company consistently tops lists of “best company to work for.”

Not only do all new parents receive eight weeks of paid leave (with an additional eight weeks unpaid), Patagonia also offers an on-site daycare and after-school pickup program.

10. Bank of America

After working for Bank of America for one year, all new parents have the option to take up to 12 weeks of paid maternity, paternity or adoption leave.

On the company’s Glassdoor page, employees have praised the company for this benefit with comments like “awesome” and “this is a huge plus for the company.”

Will You Have Paid Parental Leave?

“In small companies like ours, it can be challenging to balance resources and the financial impact of temporarily replacing any employee who goes on an extended leave of absence, not just parents,” Stacy Larkin, Director of Total Rewards at Thumbtack, told me.

“It can also be difficult to decide on exactly how much time is exactly right for your organization as employees’ needs will vary.”

Right now, the time off you’ll receive as a new parent is solely at the discretion of your employer and generous packages are usually tied to companies with the money to offer them.

So if you plan on having children and want paid parental leave, you have two options: Move to Sweden or get a job at one of these companies. Good luck.

Your Turn: Does your company offer paid parental leave? Tell us about the policy in the comments!

Marian Schembari is a writer and blogger based in Düsseldorf, Germany by way of San Francisco. She writes about travel and creativity and spends way too much time on the Internet.

The post Want to Have a Baby in the Next Couple of Years? Here’s Where to Get a Job appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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