Support working moms through pregnancy and beyond

Long story short: Support working moms through pregnancy and beyond

November 5, 2021 9:58 AM

Your employees are your work family — shouldn't you support them like family, too?

As employees plan for the future, care for newborns and tend to their responsibilities outside of work, employers have been tasked with helping them at every step of the way. Fertility and family planning benefits, as well as caregiving benefits, have seen high demand as more employees turn to their workplace for support.

In this week's top stories, several organizations are stepping up for their employees and their families. Ovia Health is partnering with the city of Boston to provide more than 15,000 government employees with fertility, maternity and family benefits. An OB-GYN from Maven shared how to keep those prospecitve and new mothers safe from COVID-19, while untangling some myths and misperceptions about the vaccine.

Having a supportive and engaged employer has been crucial for new mom Lauren Hintz to navigate life back at work after maternity leave. Her employer, Notarize, allows remote work and has an extensive paid leave policy that helps employees find balance. She shared her typical day with Employee Benefit News.

Read on for how other organizations are ensuring the safety and well-being of their employees:

This OB-GYN explains why pregnant people should receive the COVID vaccination

The safety of pregnant people and their babies is of utmost importance, yet many

parents-to-be

are struggling to find information on the proper health and safety protocols during the pandemic.

"One of those important things a pregnant person can do to protect themselves and their baby is to get vaccinated against COVID-19," says Dr. Neel Shah, an OB-GYN and chief medical officer at Maven. "When we're testing new medical technologies, including vaccines, pregnant people are excluded from the study population. So it has taken some time for public health agencies, like the CDC, to say this with clarity, but now they are.

Read more:

This OB-GYN explains why pregnant people should receive the COVID vaccination

Boston is prioritizing maternal health in new partnership with Ovia Health

Ovia Health, a family health benefits platform, recently announced a partnership with the city of Boston, in collaboration with Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts, to provide comprehensive fertility, maternity and family health benefits to municipal employees, according to a press release.

Boston’s 15,000 government employees who are currently enrolled in the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts plan will now have access to Ovia’s suite of family health resources, including personalized clinical pathways, on-demand digital health coaching, return-to-work training and other programs designed to help employees with their individual family needs.

Read more:

Boston is prioritizing maternal health in new partnership with Ovia Health

Early mornings, late nights: How this working mom juggles business and parenthood

Now that she’s been back at work for a few months after her maternity leave, Lauren Hintz credits her employer with making the transition more manageable than it might have been at a less-flexible workplace. Prior to the pandemic, Boston-based Notarize supported remote work for about 10% of its staff, including Hintz, who’s based in Indianapolis. In a post-pandemic world, remote work has been embraced company-wide, making it even easier for Hintz to work and parent from home.

Generous vacation policies — including unlimited vacation and a company-wide weeklong shutdown called “Operation Chillax” — have helped the new mom find a balance that works for her. Hintz shared some of the ways she (with the support of Notarize) has figured out how to efficiently pack a day with work, parenting — and even some time for herself.

Read more:

Early mornings, late nights: How this working mom juggles business and parenthood

How paid leave can be a financial safety net for your employees

It is no surprise that women bear the brunt of unpaid leave in the United States. Women (62%) are less likely than men (70%) to report having access to paid leave for medical or caregiving purposes. Women (9%) are more likely to have less than one week of paid leave, compared to their male counterparts (6%).

It’s clear from the research that paid leave for medical and caregiving purposes can promote workers’ financial health, while supporting women’s participation and progression in the labor force. Having access to paid leave is correlated with higher job satisfaction and lower levels of financial stress.

Read more:

How paid leave can be a financial safety net for your employees