Facebook CEO Zuckerberg to take two months of paternity leave

[SAN FRANCISCO] Facebook chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg said on Friday he will take two months of paternity leave after his daughter's birth, though he did not say when she is due.

The 31-year-old, one of Silicon Valley's most visible leaders, did not say who would be running the company while he is out. Facebook did not immediately respond to an inquiry.

Facebook, the world's biggest online social network, allows its US employees to take up to four months of paid maternity or paternity leave, which they can use all at once or throughout the year, which is generous by US standards. Several technology companies have recently extended parental leave allowances in an attempt to recruit and retain talent.

"This is a very personal decision," Mr Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page, along with a picture of a stroller, a yellow baby carrier and his dog, Beast.

"Studies show that when working parents take time to be with their newborns, outcomes are better for the children and families." Mf Zuckerberg's decision is still unusual among high-level tech executives.

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer only took two weeks off for after her first child in 2012, and when she announced she was pregnant with identical twin girls in September, she said she would be taking limited maternity leave and "working throughout."

Mr Zuckerberg's post generated more than 50,000 'likes' in one hour and nearly 3,000 comments. Many of the comments lauded his decision and said it sent a positive message about US parental leave policies.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, commented and congratulated Mr Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan. "I can't wait to meet her," she wrote.

REUTERS