Ikea's New Leave Policy Offers Up to 4 Months Paid for New Mothers and Fathers

— -- The Scandinavian superstore best known for its ready-to-assemble furniture is also making headlines for its newly unveiled parental leave program.

Ikea's U.S. division announced in a statement Tuesday it was offering up to four months of paid parental leave to "salaried and hourly workers, both mothers and fathers, and adoptive and foster parents."

Lars Petersson, the head of IKEA in the U.S. said the company believes that "time with family and friends is so important for a healthy work-life balance and a happy and productive workforce.”

“This benefit, which applies to all parents, will give our co-workers the opportunity to spend more time with their families when welcoming a child. Our co-workers are our most important resource, which is why we continue to invest in helping them reach their dream,” Petersson added.

Ikea's new family leave program has also left many wondering if this could be a signal of major changes, or a new standard for parental leave, for many families in the U.S., as the the country continues to remain the only industrialized nation that does not offer paid maternity leave on the national level.

Currently in the U.S. some workers are legally permitted to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, but there remains no federal mandatory paid leave policy for new mothers and fathers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The U.S. Department of Labor said in a report last year that only 12 percent of U.S. private sector workers have access to paid family leave through their employer.

California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island are currently the only three states to offer paid family and medical leave, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Beginning in 2018, New York will also offer paid family leave. The programs in all four states are funded through employee-paid payroll taxes, and administered through the state's disability programs, according to the NCSL.

Ikea joins a growing list of companies including Bank of America, Spotify and Netflix who are often seen in the business and tech worlds as offering generous parental leave programs.

Netflix, for example, is offering "unlimited" paid parental leave for salaried employees for up to a year. Meanwhile, Bank of America provides full- and part-time employees with up to 16 weeks paid leave after working there for a year.

Ikea's revamped family leave policy will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2017.