Marsha Hebert 
The idea that work-life balance only applies to parents is crashing down – enter the concept of "meternity."
Workplace benefits are evolving to support the idea of self-care for parents and non-parents alike. One concept that is gaining attention is "meternity."
What in the world is meternity?
The concept is still fresh and not widely implemented yet, but the essence of meternity leave formed from the concept of maternity leave. The idea is that people who don't have children deserve time off for personal growth, rest, and wellness, just like their counterparts who benefit from time off after having or adopting children. You'd be hard-pressed to find official policies that use the word 'meternity,' but the fact that the idea is gaining traction is evidenced by companies that offer flexible, employee-centered benefits.
Let's explore meternity and how it aligns with existing corporate policies like unlimited paid time off (PTO), which is making the idea more accessible to everyone – parents or not.
What is meternity?
Meternity became a buzzword in 2016. It is a word that was coined by author Meghann Foye in her book meternity and embraces the notion that employees, regardless of whether they have children, could benefit from taking a leave of absence to focus on themselves. As the world gets busier and people's lives get more hectic, the idea of maternity taps into the growing need for personal time to recharge or focus on personal, non-parental responsibilities.
Don't confuse maternity with sabbatical, though as sabbaticals are more geared toward extended leaves of absence that would be necessary to pursue career advancement – think research, travel, and academic sabbaticals. Rather, meternity is designed solely as a way to take time off for personal well-being and life balance.
So far, there's no set standard yet for how long meternity leave is, but companies with policies like unlimited PTO give their employees the freedom to take personal time when it's needed. This type of flexibility allows you to carve out time for self-care, rejuvenation, or other important life events beyond work that don't specifically involve family planning.
Where to find meternity-friendly benefits
While meternity may not yet be formally recognized in corporate handbooks, there are plenty of U.S.-based companies offering policies that align with the spirit of meternity leave. These are places where work-life balance is taken seriously, even if your "life" doesn't revolve around children. Let's look at some companies that indirectly support meternity through progressive benefits.
1. Netflix
Netflix is a leader when it comes to flexible time off. The company offers unlimited paid time off in their 'Time Away' and 'Mental Health' policies, which would allow you to take personal leave whenever you need it. Even though this policy benefits new parents, it's also perfect for when you need time for personal growth and mental health or simply want a break from the daily grind.
2. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is another tech giant with a discretionary time-off policy. Like Netflix, LinkedIn employees can take time off whenever they need it to “rest, refuel, and recharge” without needing a special reason or a set number of vacation days. They have wellness policies and an 'InDay' program that gives you a Friday every month to choose what you focus on. Because of LinkedIn's commitment to their employees, they even have perks for parents of fur babies.
3. Salesforce
Salesforce has fairly generous time-off policies, including up to six months unpaid for non-medical personal situations and up to one week of time off to focus your efforts on mental health breaks or other personal pursuits. This is all in addition to the PTO they offer. What's really great about Salesforce is they support employees who want to take some me time during the work day, too, with Therapy and Coaching resources.
4. Virgin
Richard Branson saw what Netflix was doing and decided that since it was working for them, he'd adopt an unlimited PTO policy for Virgin. Branson calls it a 'No' Vacation Policy policy and allows staff to take off whatever time they need so long as their work is complete and the time off won't negatively impact overall operations. In the spirit of maternity, this is one of the companies that's on the cutting edge.
5. General Electric
GE is one of the larger non-tech companies that offer unlimited PTO, dubbing what they call a “permissive approach” to paid time off. If you get a job with General Electric, you may not hear the word 'meternity,' but you could be part of the 30,000 employees that can take whatever time off you need. All you have to do is be done with your work and have your manager's approval.
6. Buffer
As you can see, vacation time – personal time to recenter your work-life balance – is changing. Well, Buffer isn't embracing the concept of unlimited PTO anymore because they found that employees weren't taking enough time off. After some tweaking, they've instituted a minimum vacation policy that encourages staff to take off at least three weeks every year. They even do quarterly check-ins with staff to make sure everyone is taking enough time to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Meternity isn't about laziness, it's about balance
For generations, it's been common to hear older groups claim that younger ones 'just don't want to work anymore.' That simply isn't the case. This shift toward meternity reflects a growing focus on work-life balance and personal well-being, not a decline in work ethic. Just because you take time for self-care doesn't mean you're trying to get out of work; it's about maintaining long-term productivity and mental health.
More and more, businesses are recognizing that their employees need time off not just for childbearing but for self-care, mental health, and personal growth. With burnout on the rise and many people rethinking what they want out of their careers, policies like unlimited PTO and flexible work schedules are becoming essential for things like employee retention and morale.
What's in a name?
Just because the word 'meternity' may be missing from companies' PTO policies, you can still find plenty of businesses that are providing benefits that align with its principles – the principle of 'me time.' Even if childbearing isn't in your future, you still need to take time to focus on personal care to avoid burnout. Keep your eyes open, though, because as work cultures continue to evolve, the concept of meternity may become more mainstream, giving everyone the chance to take meaningful time off.
Before you start looking for a new job that embraces the concept of 'meternity,' you need to make sure your resume is ready. Our team of experts will review your resume for free and provide personalized feedback that can help you stand out from the crowd and increase your chances of landing an interview.