How EY supports parents beyond maternity leave

While paid maternity leave isn't mandated by law in the U.S., many employers do offer it. But with today's parents asking for even more support, employers are finding new ways to provide a better experience for their workers.   

Alice Potts, experience manager at EY, was fortunate enough to have 16 weeks of paid maternity leave after having her twins over two years ago. Combining her leave with three weeks of PTO, Potts felt she had enough time to both physically and mentally recover, and bond with her children. However, her support didn't just start and end within that time period.  

Potts took advantage of EY's program, Pathways to Parenthood, which provides up to $50,000 for expenses related to infertility, surrogacy, egg and sperm preservation, as well as adoption. After one cycle of IVF, Potts was pregnant. Later, after her leave was over, Potts was granted a flexible work arrangement so she could successfully transition back to her role at EY while juggling her new role as a mom of two. 

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"For the first year, I came back to work four days a week," says Potts. "I really had time to connect with my [kids] early on and build a wonderful relationship. Even now I can pick up my kids from school, play with them, and then come back online and work."

It's no secret that paternal leave for mothers and fathers can be game-changing for a family's overall well-being. A study published in the International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy noted that the length of maternity leave was linked to the quality of the mother-child relationship as well as the child's attachment security. The Harvard Business Review highlights the connection between paternity leave and the father's overall ability to instinctually care for his child down the road. 

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But as Potts demonstrates, leave shouldn't be the only opportunity parents get to bond closely with their children. Notably, EY's other benefits like childcare support, free tutoring and college application coaching, career and family transition coaching and its EAP, which provides 25 free mental health coaching sessions a year for all family members, are all designed to strengthen the entire family. Even when Potts first joined the company at 28 and wasn't thinking about starting a family, these benefits stood out. 

"My phase of life changed, and I still was supported," says Potts. "And had I not found that support, I probably would have had to leave [EY] and find something else."

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Potts' twins are now two-and-a-half years old, and she can still confidently say she loves her job. She credits EY's benefits and culture for helping her strike that coveted balance between family and career — it's a balance she can't imagine walking away from. As for employers still debating their own investment in family benefits, it may be worth considering whether their working parents have enough resources to thrive, which helps the company thrive, too. 

"I've been here six years, and I don't see myself going anywhere," says Potts. "My relationship with my family is good, and the decisions I want to make for my life feel supported."