外刊阅读 Day 8
【导读】
近期微软宣布，将把原来只有全职员工才能享受的人性化的带薪育儿假制度也带给它在美国国内服务承包商的员工。
【正文】
Microsoft to require contractors to offer paid parental leave 微软将要求承包商为员工提供带薪育儿假
Microsoft has announced a policy requiring its contractors to offer employees a minimum of 12 weeks paid parental leave（带薪育儿假）, paying them up to $1,000 a week.
微软最近宣布，将要求其承包商为员工提供至少 12 周，每周最高 1000 美元的带薪育儿假。
The policy, which affects US-based companies that do work for the technology company and have more than 50 employees, will be rolled out（推出） over the next year. It will affect people including the company's cafeteria workers, janitors（保洁）, IT support staff and engineering consultants.
这项政策将在明年逐步开始实行，会涉及到所有服务于微软，员工人数超过 50 人，且总部位于美国的公司。所涉及者包括微软的餐厅员工、保洁人员、信息技术支持人员和工程顾问人员。
Microsoft was prompted to（促使） introduce the policy after Washington state, where the company is headquartered（总部设于）, passed legislation requiring companies to offer employees and contractors paid parental leave. The company said that it wanted to give the same benefit offered by the legislation, which comes into effect（生效） in 2020, to contracted staff across the US. The company noted that the policy could increase its costs.
微软推行这一政策，乃是受到了其总部所在的华盛顿州近期通过的一项法案的促使。该法案要求企业为正式员工和外包员工提供带薪育儿假的福利。微软表示希望向全美范围的外包员工提供与这项 2020 年生效的法案相同的福利待遇，并指出，该政策可能会增加公司的开支。
The policy will bring the parental leave benefits of affected contractors in line with those of full-time employees, who also get 12 weeks parental leave, while birth mothers get an additional eight weeks off.
受到这项政策影响的外包员工的育儿假福利标准将与全职员工对齐。全职员工有 12 周的育儿假，而新妈妈们更能享受额外 8 周的假期。
“The case for paid parental leave is clear,” said the company's general counsel, Dev Stahlkopf, in a blogpost, citing various studies showing that it improves productivity, morale（士气） and retention of new mothers.
微软首席法律顾问德夫·斯托尔考夫在一篇博文中表示，“推行带薪育儿假制度的优点十分明显”，并援引了一些研究来表明，带薪育儿假制度能够提升新妈妈们的工作效率、工作状态和留职比例。
“Further, when men and women have the opportunity to take paid leave, it can help counteract（抵消） gender caregiving stereotypes（抚育角色中关于性别的固有观念）, neutralize（消除） stigmas（羞耻感） and promote equity in the home and office,” added Stahlkopf.
斯托尔考夫还说：“除此之外，如果男性和女性员工都能享受带薪育儿假的福利，这更能帮助我们消除关于子女抚育中性别角色的固有观念和其带来的羞耻感，并在家庭和工作场合中促进性别平等。”
Microsoft has been under pressure to improve working conditions for contractors after some workers unionized（成立工会） in 2014 and started pushing for benefits like paid leave. In 2015, Microsoft announced it would require its suppliers to give their workers at least 15 days paid time off.
自从一些员工在 2014 年组建工会并开始争取有薪假期等福利制度之后，微软就已经感受到了改善外包雇员工作条件的压力。2015 年，微软曾宣布，要求供应商为其员工提供每年至少 15 天的带薪假期。
————— 文章来源 / 卫报
【生词】
contractor /kənˈtræktər/ n. 承包商；承包公司；外包员工
paid parental leave 带薪育儿假
roll out 正式推出（新政策、新产品等） e.g. The firm rolled out its newest generation of supercomputers.
janitor /ˈdʒænɪtər/ n. （室内工作的）清洁工；保洁员
prompt /prɑːmpt/ v. 促使；导致；引起e.g.
Recent worries over the president's health have prompted speculation over his political future.
headquartered /ˈhedkwɔːrtərd/ adj. 总部在某地 e.g. It (Alibaba) is headquartered in Hangzhou.
bring ... in line with 使一致；使规范；使符合
counsel /ˈkaʊnsl/ n. 法律顾问；律师
morale /məˈræl/ n. 精神面貌；士气；工作状态e.g. to boost / maintain morale to lower / undermine morale
retention /rɪˈtenʃn/ n. 留存率
counteract /ˌkaʊntərˈækt/ v. 抵制；抵抗
neutralize /ˈnuːtrəlaɪz/ v. 抵消；使无效
unionize /ˈjuːniənaɪz/ v. （使）加入工会；（使）成立工会 e.g. Workers have the right to unionize.
