Workers care about getting paid time off from work — a lot.
Business Insider recently reported that Zoom reduced the number of weeks of paid parental leave it offers, while Deloitte is also planning to do the same — and more — for select groups of workers starting in January.
The article, which also explains why other companies may follow their lead, sparked a viral conversation on LinkedIn, drawing more than 1,100 comments and a wide range of perspectives. Many expressed disappointment and concern for affected workers. Others argued that reducing core benefits may be a necessary, or even reasonable, move due to tough business conditions.
Business Insider received permission to share excerpts from a few of the comments here, which have been lightly edited for clarity:
“This reminds me of when Clark Griswold’s boss in Christmas Vacation decided to replace Xmas bonuses with a subscription to the Jelly-of-the-Month Club,” wrote reader Paul G. Fisher. “Executives can learn a lot about good and bad decisions from watching movies.”
Stephen Rose said Zoom and Deloitte’s benefits reductions are “wrong on every level” and “counterintuitive.” The CEO of a tech company, according to his LinkedIn, Rose added that his firm won’t be adopting similar policies and would consider dropping vendors that do.
By contrast, Chris Ciappa said that employers add perks for optics and in response to pressure, but tougher conditions are forcing a return to basics.
“When conditions tighten, reality reasserts itself. Employers go back to what actually sustains a business: performance, accountability, and real contribution,” Ciappa wrote. “This isn’t about removing everything. It’s a correction. A move back toward merit, output, and long-term viability.”
Reader Anthony Calleo said that when organizations reduce parental leave, it’s often framed as a response to market conditions. However, Calleo added, “the more telling line is the idea that employers can do this because employees have less leverage. That turns employee experience into something conditional rather than foundational.”
Another commenter, Dinko Barbalich, posed the question: “At what point does reducing the quality of life for employees become a race to the bottom?”
Meanwhile, Amy Young said that reducing benefits could prompt workers to organize. “When/if these changes start becoming more common, I think we’re going to see a renewed push for unionization — potentially in an expanded number of industries,” Young said.
And Amanda Christian predicted a future where workers once again have the upper hand. “This is very short-sighted,” Christian wrote. “The job market is always a pendulum, and it will indeed swing the other way.”
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