The Road to Parenthood- Paternity Leave at Caterpillar

When Archie Lyons had an opportunity to grow his family through the adoption of his daughter, he had the full support of Caterpillar behind him and his partner throughout their journey.

Archie Lyons’ career with Caterpillar began well before he stepped through the doors as an official employee. After college, he worked for a local marketing agency with Caterpillar as a client. Archie assisted with trade shows and other projects before making the transition to join the Cat team full time in 2005.

Fast forward 15 years later his journey with Caterpillar continues, and his passion and pride for the company has only increased.

“It doesn’t matter where you travel or who you meet within Caterpillar, that midwestern feel and company values are visible. It’s the warmth and hospitality. No matter where we’re at, what language we speak, we’re all Caterpillar.”

In the midst of a successful career, Archie and his husband, Tommy, were presented an opportunity to have a family of their own, something they never thought they’d have the chance to do. He says their specific situation was unexpected, but he never had any concerns over the support he’d receive from the Caterpillar team.

Beyond supporting his decision, he was given time to adjust and bond with his daughter through paternity leave. He says it was something he didn’t know Caterpillar offered prior to inquiring about the process. Through the benefits and support provided by Caterpillar he received assistance with the adoption as well as time off to spend with his newly expanded family.

Archie was able to use the leave offered over course of a year. He used a couple weeks up front to bond with their newborn baby and spanned the remainder of the time throughout the year in case of doctor visits or emergencies. Additionally, his leadership provided him the flexibility to work remotely when needed so he was able to juggle the responsibility of parenting a newborn while still delivering on his work for the enterprise.

“We could spend time at home guilt-free. My leadership truly bent over backwards to make sure I had the time to be gone for a few weeks,” said Archie, “There were a lot of days I needed to work from home – they supported it and saw my value as a team member. I could do my job and still support my daughter.”

After his experience, he says that Caterpillar means so much more to him than big yellow iron you see every day. “It has such a soft side, a true caring for their people, and some may never realize that at first glance.”

Want to join a company who supports your professional and personal lives? Search and apply for jobs today.