Needs better maternity leave policy - Anonymous employee Genentech Employee Review

4.0
Mar 1, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are plenty of pros about the company on Glassdoor, so I'll focus on the biggest con...it's antiquated maternity leave policy.

Cons

Maternity leave should be on par or better than other top SF Bay Area employers. The company is the leading biotech in the world (i.e., focused on people's health, to state the obvious), yet several tech companies beat Genentech's maternity paid leave by a long-shot. Twitter has 20 paid weeks, Google 18, etc. Netflix up to one year!

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5.0
Jul 8, 2026
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Pros

Great culture and work environment.

Cons

PhD is necessary oftentimes for advancement.

3.0
May 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

Genentech's origin story and mission are genuinely inspiring — few companies can point to such a meaningful historical arc in medicine. Patient engagement is taken seriously and feels authentic, not performative. The campus is beautiful and the culture has real warmth.

Cons

DDA is operating with significant gaps. First, the foundational data infrastructure is not mature enough to support the ambitions being set for the team. Second, the measurement culture has gotten ahead of the methodology, and no one in a position of authority seems to be asking hard questions about whether the numbers actually mean what they're being presented as meaning. Third, some management feel disconnected from the work itself, lacking the knowledge, hands-on experience, or relevant credentials. Individually any one of these would be manageable. Together these create an environment where it's hard to do rigorous work, rather work is performative, and be recognized for it.

3
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