A co-worker explained it thusly: if you want to attract folks who have (or plan to have) children, you have to offer them a way to do so while working for you... Or they&#x27;ll go with a different employer who does. Of course, in the past it&#x27;s been common for NO ONE to offer such benefits, which also works. If you simply don&#x27;t care about attracting parents, you can not offer these benefits (though nowdays you&#x27;ll be limited in how much you can cut them by various employment laws).<p>If you want a job that gives you a few months off every year or so to go on a spiritual journey, then your best bet is to negotiate that up-front, keeping in mind that - like parents - you&#x27;ll be reducing the number of places willing to hire you by doing so.<p>Don&#x27;t like it? I don&#x27;t blame you. But I can tell you about plenty of folks who lost their jobs when they had kids and didn&#x27;t like it either.