Many companies are starting to implement a compassionate leave policy for employees that have experienced miscarriages, stillbirths, or failed adoption/surrogacy attempts.
This week is National Infertility Awareness Week, which brings much-needed attention to an extremely important yet still not-often-talked-about topic. While fertility and family building benefits have gained recognition as a necessary part of a company's benefit plans, there is still much more employers can do to help their employees throughout every stage of their family building journey. Adoption and surrogacy assistance, mental health benefits, and pregnancy loss leave policies are just a few components that are not often considered but can make a significant difference in the health and wellbeing of employees and their families.
Family building benefits are a good foundation
By implementing a family building benefit, you're already sending a strong cultural message to your employees that the company is truly ready and willing to support them throughout a critical stage in their life. As a result, these robust fertility and family building benefits can attract and retain a diverse and talented pool of employees.
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Additionally, your chosen fertility and family building benefits vendor should provide an inclusive plan design that does not exclude LGBTQ+ individuals or single parents by choice. Specialized fertility benefit managers like Progyny ensure that everyone has access to the benefit and receives culturally competent care.
Employers should also ensure that their benefit includes options for fertility preservation, such as egg, sperm, or embryo freezing. As more people choose to start their families later in life, these fertility preservation services are a fantastic way for employers to say, "we recognize what is important to you both personally and professionally, and we are giving you the tools to reach those goals."
Make sure you're also offering assistance for diverse family building options
Another important aspect of a robust fertility and family building benefits plan is support for diverse family building options like adoption and surrogacy. The Adoption Network reports that one third of Americans have considered adoption as a path to parenthood. However, the adoption process has many unique considerations that employers can address with adoption benefits.
Surrogacy is also a popular family building option, especially for members of the LGBTQ+ community and single parents by choice. This, too, can be expensive and complicated. Surrogacy assistance in the form of financial reimbursement can help parents address agency and medical fees and provide support through the matching and screening processes.
When asked why an adoption and surrogacy benefit in addition to fertility coverage is important, Carolyn O'Boyle, Chief People Officer at Progyny client Boston Beer Company said, "At Boston Beer it was incredibly important for us to say that we support all coworkers who want to have a family, no matter what path to parenthood that is. For many, that includes adoption and surrogacy. While we still have opportunities to improve parity in the coverage, it was important to us to provide this additional path for our coworkers."
Mental health services are essential
Infertility is an extremely difficult diagnosis and for many, it may be the first time they are dealing with a medical diagnosis at all. The treatment process is also strenuous on the mind and body. It may be surprising to hear, but one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage, an extremely difficult complication. To ensure you are helping employees get back on their feet after the strain of a fertility treatment or pregnancy loss, it is imperative that comprehensive family building benefits packages include mental health services and support.
This support can be provided in the form of access to therapy and psychiatric help. Today, many companies are starting to implement a compassionate leave policy for employees that have experienced miscarriages, stillbirths, or failed adoption/surrogacy attempts. At Progyny, we have a pregnancy loss leave policy that provides five days of paid time. Other companies like Pinterest and The Mom Project have implemented similar policies, giving employees time away from work to grieve. The addition of mental health benefits and pregnancy loss leave policies show employees that their employers truly care about their wellbeing.
Postpartum support is necessary
Family building benefits should expand beyond when a baby is born, and some of this support can be through postpartum services.
When we think of postpartum support, our minds often first go to maternity and paternity leave. However, these terms are not inclusive for all paths to parenthood. As an employer, you should ensure that any communication or policies designed for postpartum support do not include gendered language so that those policies are accessible for everyone, regardless of gender identity or path to parenthood. Allowing non-gendered parental leave to be at least partially paid is a step in the right direction.
Some companies, like Microsoft, are going the extra mile for postpartum support. Microsoft employees are allowed 20 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents and 12 weeks of paid leave for all other new parents, including adoptions and foster placements. Google also goes above and beyond, granting its employees who give birth 24 weeks of paid leave and all other parents 18 weeks of leave. It is incredibly important to offer leave for the birthing parent, but equally as important that the non-birthing parent be offered leave to spend time with their child.
Today, many organizations offer parental leave to birth mothers, but a smaller number of organizations offer parental leave to biological fathers. Often, fathers and non-birthing parents are expected to "bounce back" too quickly. While Mercer reports that 80% of large global employers offer paternity leave, nearly a quarter of men decline to take it due to high expectations or a lack of flexibility. More robust postpartum support could prevent this.
Lastly, it's important to offer some type of childcare option through services like UrbanSitter, to help ease the stress and transition of new parents. The transition back to work after parental leave is often exacerbated by stressing about who is going to take care of the new baby. Employers can help mitigate this stress by offering childcare benefits.
Going above and beyond for employees
A robust family building benefits program includes much more than just fertility treatment. Alternative options, mental health services, and postpartum support are equally as important in the family building process and drive trust between employers and their employees.
On the topic of alternative family building options, O'Boyle from Boston Beer Company also says, "This has been the most well-received benefit announcement we have had over the past few years. In that time, we have expanded our mental health offering, launched a coworker relief fund, and created a rewards and recognition platform, but this has generated the most positive feedback from coworkers. Going above and beyond what the coverage includes symbolizes our company's desire to support our coworkers and their families."
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