Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to take two months paternity leave

It is not known who will step in his absence

Mark Zuckerberg has found himself frequently defending Internet.org, his Facebook-led initiative to bring free internet services to people around the world (Getty)

Mark Zuckerberg will take two months paternity leave after the birth of his daughter.

The Facebook CEO said he was inspired by studies showing how child development benefits from parents taking time off immediately after the birth.

His decision comes after tech firms in Silicon Valley started extending leave allowances for parents in a bid to keep talented employees. However, many have eschewed the leave offered to them and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer only took two weeks off after the recent birth of her child.

Zuckerberg, who is married to Priscilla Chan, said: “We've also been thinking about how we're going to take time off during the first months of her life. This is a very personal decision, and I've decided to take two months of paternity leave when our daughter arrives.

“Studies show that when working parents take time to be with their newborns, outcomes are better for the children and families.

Priscilla and I are starting to get ready for our daughter's arrival. We've been picking out our favorite childhood...

Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Friday, 20 November 2015

“Every day things are getting a little more real for us, and we're excited to start this next stage in our lives.”

Facebook offers US employees four months of paid paternity or maternity leave. Fathers in the UK can take up to two consecutive weeks of paternity leave after the birth of their child. They can take more leave if they qualify for Shared Parental Leave and Pay or Additional Paternity Leave and Pay.

Zuckerberg has not confirmed who will manage Facebook in his absence.