How fertility became a workplace perk
More companies are offering benefits that cover IVF, egg-freezing or surrogacy. Are these perks, which can be divisive, really the key to retaining staff?
In 2019, Caitlin, a 35-year-old living in New York City, was looking for a new job. Her contract as a content specialist was coming to an end, and Caitlin, who was a few months into IVF treatment, had a very specific idea about what she was looking for in her next role.
“I Googled ‘companies with the best fertility treatments’ and applied to roles at those companies,” she says. “I applied to the companies with the best fertility and family benefits, and those companies only. Any position offering less than what I considered to be top-tier coverage fell out of contention.”
Caitlin, who’s using one name for professional reasons, ended up interviewing at an accounting firm that would cover 100% of the cost of her treatments. The role was something of a career shift for her, but she had no doubt about accepting the job. “My mom thinks it was a miracle,” she says. “I started treatments shortly after I started my new job.”
The company Caitlin joined is one of many now offering fertility-related benefits in a bid to attract new recruits.
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