- Companies are increasingly offering benefits to support working parents, such as parental leave, childcare reimbursement, and flexible work arrangements.
- These benefits can be incredibly attractive to working parents, who often face challenges balancing their careers and families.
- Some companies, such as NVIDIA, OneDigital, Delta Airlines, and Avanade, are going above and beyond to support working parents.
Parents are an undeniable driver in the American workforce. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 80.1% of U.S. married-couple families had at least one employed member in 2022. Both spouses were employed in 48.9% of married-couple families, (up from 46.8% in 2021), and two-thirds of families had a child under the age of 18.
Putting family over work is a hard no for today’s workers, and many companies understand that attracting top talent means giving employees flexibility, support, and generous benefits for their families. In fact, perks for parents are frequently cited in reviews on Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work (BTPW) list.
We took a hard look at employers to see who’s getting parental benefits right, what competitive benefits look like, and how companies can evaluate their programs. Let’s take note from four of the companies on this year's BPTW list.
Top benefits at the Best Places to Work
The five most in-demand benefits for parents are flexible schedules, paid vacation time, childcare subsidies, a lactation room, and paid maternity or paternity leave. Ragan Fabrici, senior vice president of human relations at OneDigital, says her company prioritizes flexibility for all employees with its unofficial motto: Do your best work and live your best life.
At OneDigital, she says parents are encouraged to be present for school plays and sports matches and never have to feel guilty about taking a day off to care for a sick child. As an example, Fabrici shared that the co-founder and CEO set the example by coaching his son’s lacrosse team — sending the message that it was okay for other working parents to take on those roles as well.
For many workers, hybrid schedules have become a must. Whether that means non-traditional hours or a combination of in-office and work-from-home time, hybrid work empowers employees to handle professional responsibilities, while still being present in their children’s lives.
Childcare subsidies, back-up childcare services, and on-site daycare facilities are other ways to make working parents’ lives more flexible. A 2021 survey by the Pew Center noted that more than 50% of working parents struggle with child care. For workers that travel on business, companies can even cover overnight childcare — particularly for single parents — or pay for a child to travel with the parent.
Navigating maternity leave and parental leave
The U.S. is one of only eight countries worldwide that does not guarantee paid parental leave. Instead, employers control whether workers receive paid time off after the birth or adoption of a child, or to care for sick children. Fortunately, paid parental leave is becoming more common. The percentage of companies that paid for family leave increased from 16% in 2016 to 24% in 2019 and 31% in 2020. A popular trend in family leave is to grant recovery time for birthing parents, plus bonding time for birthing and non-birthing parents.
Jeannette Zhang, recruiting program manager at NVIDIA, says she experienced managers’ support for parents first-hand when she had a baby. “Our managers and management are very considerate in terms of the difficulties of being pregnant and having to work at the same time,” she said, noting flexibility around doctor’s appointments and morning sickness. “I feel very comfortable just asking my managers for half of a day or a couple of days off. They're very supportive in terms of the whole pregnancy experience.”
Companies are also helping their workers become parents by recognizing that many employees are starting families later. With a single round of in vitro fertilization (IVF) costing between $15,000 and $30,000, subsidies for family planning like testing, egg freezing, and IVF can be incredibly attractive.
Companies that cater to working parents
Crafting a benefits package to support working parents isn’t simply a matter of spending more; it’s taking a thoughtful approach to family life, and these BPTW 2023 companies are getting it right.
At NVIDIA, family benefits extend far beyond parental leave. The company offers support for building a family, (including adoption, fertility testing, IVF treatment, and surrogacy), developmental disabilities support, college prep and counseling, and gender-affirming care.
OneDigital gives birthing parents receive 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, and non-birthing new parents receive four weeks of bonding leave. Employees are encouraged to be active in their kids’ lives, and the company has a robust employee resources group for parents.
In addition to the travel perks of working for an airline, Delta employees receive family responsibility, maternity, and paternity leave. Expecting and new moms can take six weeks’ paid leave plus 16 weeks’ unpaid leave. The airline also offers subsidies for IVF and adoption.
Avanade gets high marks from its employees for embracing flexible schedules, IVF support, and parental leave for both birthing and non-birthing parents. All primary caregiver parents can take up to 16 weeks of parental leave, for either birth or adoption. Secondary caregivers get two weeks of leave. Employees also have access to backup care services for small children and aging relatives.
Working parents want more
Working and raising children requires support. Childcare reimbursement and services, flexible hours, and remote work options help parents balance their families and their jobs. It’s not selfish or unrealistic for working parents to seek out employers with generous benefits or push companies to reconsider their benefits packages.
Check out the openings at NVIDIA, OneDigital, Delta, and Avanade on Glassdoor to find a job with great benefits for working parents.