Mark Zuckerberg Has One Question for Facebook Friends After Paternity Leave Ends

Before returning to the office after two months at home with newborn daughter Maxima, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg asked his friends and Facebook followers — all 48.5 million of them — for advice about his outfit.

“First day back after paternity leave. What should I wear?” the Palo Alto, Calif. tech guru asked Monday along with a “?” emoticon and tongue-in-cheek “feeling undecided” comment in the caption of a photo of his closet, which revealed a wardrobe full of gray T-shirts and hoodie sweatshirts.

(Photo: Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg)

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Naturally, the joking post got lots of likes (1.1 million, in fact) and comments (65,000 and counting). Some used their two cents to offer good-natured ribbing, including one commenter’s helpful, “I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say, gray.” Others offered advice: “Go in shirtless — whenever someone gawks, turn and flex your abs. People will respect this leadership decision.” And while one reader generated 38 replies to a question about why T-shirts would be hanging up in a closet in the first place, far more weighed in to cheer on Zuckerberg’s monochromatic uniform. “This is Mark,” wrote one. “Mark is simple and intelligent… Mark doesn’t waste his time searching the closet… Mark keeps it simple… Be like Mark!!!”

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It’s no secret after all that Zuckerberg suits up the same way most days. Choosing different outfits is simply not something he’s willing to devote time to, he explained during a public question-and-answer session in November. ”I really want to clear my life,” he said, “to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community.”

(Photo: Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg)

And his community, it turns out, serves him as well. The sartorial sass was peppered with some touching pep talks about retuning to work after the birth of a child. “Mark, I suggest a happy father’s smile on your face will be perfect. Everything else is unimportant!!!” declared one commenter to the new dad, who is married to Priscilla Chan. Another leveled: “It won’t matter what you wear because all you’ll be able to think about is your precious baby girl while you’re at work. Good luck at your first day back at work, hopefully you won’t be too sad. That’s going to be a toughie. I feel for you.”

(Photo: Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg)

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg shared her thoughts as well, of course. “Welcome back Mark!” wrote the mother of two. “I know Max is so lucky to have had this time with you… and we are all excited to have you back in the office.”

The fact that Zuckerberg took paternity leave — and a relatively solid chunk of time at that — is no small thing. As he wrote in November announcing his “very personal decision” to take two months off to stay home with his daughter: “Studies show that when working parents take time to be with their newborns, outcomes are better for the children and families.” His post pulled in more than 50,000 likes in an hour, and an avalanche of comments that “lauded his decision and said it sent a positive message about U.S. parental leave policies,” Reuters reported.

(Photo: Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg)

After all, almost two-thirds of the 89 percent of fathers who took time off after their baby’s birth were only away from work one week or less, according to the New York Times. Men offered paid leave “often don’t take it, for fear of social and professional repercussions in the office hierarchy,” The Atlantic said in its writeup about Zuckerberg’s time off.

(Photo: Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg)

For that reason, among many others, the Facebook founder’s example is a powerful one. “Previous studies have shown,” the New York Times also reported, “that peer influence — as when co-workers, brothers or bosses take paternity leave — has a strong effect on men’s leave-taking.” And that’s whether you keep wearing a T-shirt when you return to the office or not.

(Top photo: Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg)

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