As we wrap up this year’s open enrollment, employees are more informed, more engaged and more proactive about seeking out benefits that serve them as they seek to grow their families.
At Kindbody, we led dozens of open enrollment events, both virtual and in-person, and uncovered three key themes that will transform how benefits managers think about supporting their employees in 2022 and beyond.
Employees are shopping around: While the pandemic ushered in a newfound appreciation for workplace health and wellness programs, it also freed up employees to do their research on what fertility and family-building programs are being offered and where. Today, employers across industries, from transportation to hospitality, offer these benefits to their employees.
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Armed with this information, workers are making career decisions. Research shows that nearly 70% of millennials would change jobs to ensure they have fertility coverage. Those employees who do have fertility benefits at work are more engaged than ever. At Kindbody, employees asked pointed questions about how and when to best utilize their benefits, registering at record rates over previous years.
Fertility and family planning is top of mind for many: Fertility and family-building benefits that support all paths to parenthood serve as a signal to every single employee about how much an organization cares about its workers. Once painted by society as a woman’s issue, fertility care is increasingly being recognized as essential to both men and women. In fact, 30% of the people who approached Kindbody’s table at in-person open enrollment events identified as male. Their interests covered topics from fertility education and assessments, to in vitro fertilization, adoption and surrogacy. Benefits leaders took notice and have expressed interest in offering more fertility and family-building educational programs geared towards male employees.
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Technology will lead the charge: For younger generations, the smartphone serves as their remote control for nearly every area of their life — entertainment, transportation, food delivery and increasingly, their healthcare. In the case of fertility care it may, of course, one day require a visit to the clinic. But appointment scheduling, doctor’s visits and viewing test results and records are all moving online. At Kindbody, we’re meeting this moment by delivering care how the employees prefer it and in a way that’s in their best interest: virtually, in-clinic, in the workplace, and at home.
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After navigating many unprecedented challenges brought on by the pandemic, 2022 is the year for benefits leaders to shine. Looking forward, employers will double down on benefits programs that are modern, tech-enabled and inclusive, and support their employees’ health holistically. A comprehensive fertility and family-building benefits program lives up to this promise and pays dividends by helping companies attract and keep great talent, and cultivate a workforce that is diverse, engaged and feels truly supported and valued by their employer.
