Chobani Receives Great Place to Work Certification and Announces New Paid Parental Leave Policy

Chobani has been certified as a Great Place to Work, an independent recognition given to the country's best workplaces. Building on its founding commitment to strengthen its communities and support its employees, Chobani also announced a new paid parental leave policy that includes six weeks, 100 percent paid parental leave for mothers and fathers, including hourly and salaried employees.

"As a founder and a new father, my son opened my eyes to the fact that the vast majority of workers in this country don't have access to paid family leave when they have a new child," says Hamdi Ulukaya, founder, chairman and chief executive officer, Chobani. "That's especially true when it comes to manufacturing and that needs to change in this country and Chobani needed to be part of that change."

Grace Zuncic, senior vice president of corporate development and strategy and a key advisor on the new policy adds: "In designing employee benefits like parental leave, we've always tried to take a holistic view that includes everyone in the company. What I value most as a new mom—and a newly expecting mom—is that paid parental leave isn't just about helping new parents, it's about our children. Our ability to spend time with them in their earliest days is essential. We hope the majority of U.S. companies that currently don't have plans in place to support new parents will get on-board with that thinking."

Chobani paid parental leave policy extends to every full-time employee

Chobani is always striving to do more for its families and communities and recognizes the importance of time spent with a new child, company officials say. Effective in 2017, Chobani will implement a new paid parental leave policy, offering 100 percent paid parental leave for six weeks for all full-time hourly and salaried employees. The program extends to both mothers and fathers for the birth, adoption or placement of a foster child into the home.

Chobani's paid parental leave policy reflects Chobani's guiding principle that benefits be extended to the entire workforce of a company, regardless of job title or function. The policy is an extension of the company's current programming and benefits, including full healthcare for all full-time employees; wages that far exceed state and federal standards and minimums; retirement planning; and the recently announced Chobani Shares, which gives each employee the opportunity to share in the growth of the company over time.

This paid parental leave policy is important for Chobani, but it is also part of a critical conversation about the need for increased parental leave in the U.S.

Chobani's now certified as a Great Place to Work

Chobani joins an esteemed list of companies as a Great Place to Work, measured on qualities including trust, pride and culture. Employees contributed to an independently conducted survey to help inform the Great Place to Work certification, and 85 percent of employees said Chobani is a great place to work. Some of the areas that stood out in the survey were positive feelings around the company's contribution to the community, a sense of pride in Chobani and the ability to be oneself at work. Highlights from the survey results can be found here.