An open letter to Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf about paid parental leave
The following is an open letter from a current Wells Fargo employee to the company’s CEO from the perspective of the employee’s soon-to-be-born daughter. In April, Wells Fargo announced a new paid parental leave policy, but employees who give birth before June 1st are not eligible for the new benefit. Wells Fargo employees and thousands of supporters have joined this campaign on Coworker.org calling for the bank to grandfather in employees who welcome a new child before June 1st.
You can join the campaign to Wells Fargo here.
Dear Mr. John Stumpf, CEO of Wells Fargo:
My name is Baby Emma. You don’t know me as I have yet to make my grand appearance to the world. I’m expected to bless my parents with my presence in mid-May. My Mom is hoping I’ll come on Mother’s Day or her birthday — I hear her tell daddy that meeting me on those days would be extra special. See, for over a decade, she’s been told she couldn’t have children, but the Lord answered her prayers and has blessed her and daddy with me! I already love my mommy and daddy so much. Daddy is so funny and makes mommy laugh all the time. He sings to me every night when we go to bed and that makes me so happy. I know that Mommy and Daddy are so awesome because my daddy is working 15 hours OT every week in order to prepare for my arrival. Mommy was working 10 hours OT every week until the doctor told her it wasn’t the healthiest for her and me. They are both doing so much for me that I already know the lesson of sacrifice.
I am writing you this letter because I am concerned, sometimes I think they forget that I hear everything. For the first time I heard my Daddy crying. He has always been so strong and positive it really scared me to hear him like this. I didn’t understand the whole issue but it had to do with me and being able to spend time with me. You see he was telling my Mommy that work had announced they had changed their policy on Paternity Leave and they were going to be able to spend more time with me and get to know me better. I was so excited to have this time with them because Daddy is so funny and Mommy loves him so much that butterflies visit me in her tummy when he is around. However, their excitement soon went away after Daddy read the new policy from work. Since they both work for the same company it affects them both in a very dramatic way.
On April 6th, Wells Fargo publicly announced that if I was born on June 1st Mommy could spend 16 weeks at home with me and Daddy could be home as well for 4 weeks. My Mommy and Daddy were so excited to hear this news! It was a very happy moment for me. Yet, all the excitement went away and I heard my Daddy in a way I have only heard once before… He was crying just like when he heard for the first time I was in Mommy’s belly. But this time it was different, mommy called it sadness and disappointment. I have not heard or felt this before in our home. The more I listened the more I understood what happened. Mommy and Daddy’s Company had changed the Paternity policy but it only affected those who had babies like me after June 1st. I began to cry just like my Daddy and Mommy both did before. I realized it was my fault since I was going to come sooner than the June 1st date. It was my fault Mommy and Daddy couldn’t spend more time with me. Instead of 16 weeks with Mommy I was only going to get 6 weeks with her. With my Daddy instead of 4 weeks paid time it will only be 1 week of PTO which means even less time later this year with my wonderful Daddy.
So, I guess this letter is an apology Mr. Stumpf, can you tell my parents I am sorry for coming sooner than June 1st? I love them so much and would do anything for them but this is out of my control. Please tell them I am so sorry for coming before the cut off. Please tell them I am sorry they will not get to spend more time with me.
My friend Baby Jessica will be born after June 1st and she will spend more time with her family than me. What did I do so wrong Mr. Stumpf? Why are you punishing my Mommy and Daddy who gives so much to your company day in and day out? I know that I may not be big right now but in 20 to 30 years I will be big enough to make decisions that will have influence on my generation. Who will I end up working for? Who should I do business with?
I hear another Bank here in America did the same thing but made their benefits active the next day. Why did you not do the same? Why did you announce this 2 months early? Why am I not as special as my friend Baby Jessica? Why do her parents get more time with her than I do? Mr. Stumpf, I want to ask you a question: what is more important, short term accolades of policy change or the long term gain of building family loyalty generation after generation? Isn’t that what makes Wells Fargo such a solid company Mr. Stumpf? Why would you waiver from your Vision and Values? Page 14 of your Vision and Values booklet states, “Our culture is reflected in the essence of our brand: ‘Together we’ll go far.’ We want our team members to feel proud of working for a company that truly cares about people, goes the extra mile to do what’s right — in good times and bad — and believes that “better” is possible for everyone.” Please do “right” not just by my parents, but all families, and extend the same benefits to them as you would Baby Jessica’s parents.
Long term gain is the way to succeed, in helping the families affected by this Gap you will have clients for multiple generations. Remember, there is a bank in America that has already done better for their work families. Mr. Stumpf, here is your opportunity to leave another great mark on your legacy. Do you believe that “better” is possible?
With my deepest regards and sincerest hopes,
Baby Emma
Add your name to the petition to Wells Fargo by clicking here.
