Domestically (where U.S. women currently only hold 17 percent of board seats), the global telecommunications company Vodafone Group announced that by the end of this year, its 30 companies around the globe will offer 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, and — this is even better — the opportunity for new mothers to work for just 30 hours a week while continuing to earn full-time salaries within the first six months after returning from maternity leave. There is no question that this will help women at the company return to work a lot less stressed without having to worry about cutting back pay or stalling their careers. Previously, women who worked at Vodafone received a traditional maternity leave benefit popular in the U.S. — 60 percent of their pay for 12 weeks, with any reduction of hours to be reflected in their pay.