How fertility benefits for men and women can help promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.
Even companies that offer family-forming benefits often use services that leave men underserved. But offering male fertility treatment is a great way to boost recruitment and retention, provide a more equitable workplace, and anticipate the needs of today’s hybrid workforce.
Fertility Coverage for Men
For employers, embracing a comprehensive and progressive approach to male fertility is a great way to spur the recruitment and retention of the best available staff. Workers of all backgrounds and genders are looking for the best benefits available, and for many, these requirements include making comprehensive fertility coverage available if and when those employees decide to start a family. Companies that provide their staff with the best andmost accessible benefits will attract the strongest candidates. These companies also make better use of their staff’s expertise long-term, as higherretention rates mean greater ROI on training and developing employees.
Fertility Benefits for Men and Women Support Diversity and Inclusion
Taking care of male employees’ fertility needs is a great way to score top marks in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Traditional healthcare plans tend to focus primarily on women’s fertility issues, thus excluding male employees and female employees’ male partners. Moreover, this traditional approach also ignores the needs of prospective single fathers, men in same-sex relationships, and trans and gender-fluid individuals. And the next superstar hire who takes a company to new heights could come from any of these backgrounds. Like all equitable benefits, access to fertility care and treatments should be available equally to workers of all backgrounds.
Focus on Family Building
In our post-COVID world of the hybrid workforce, equal opportunity family planning becomes an especially useful benefit to offer. Many workers who were holding off on having children due to busy commuting schedules are now pushing up their family building schedules as a work-from-home or hybrid model makes working while raising children more tenable. Many male employees are reevaluating their priorities and using a moreflexible work schedule to focus more on their families. Companies that prioritize family forming benefits along with their staff will show a strongerunderstanding of the needs of male employees and the changing face of work and family.
Men and Fertility
For single men and men in same-sex couples, adoption is often an option. And while this often falls outside of the realm of what most people think of as “fertility,” it is actually a critical part of how many men form their families. And companies that offer fertility benefit packages that cover adoption can position themselves as employers of choice, which helps them attract and retain top talent. Read Dr. David Adamson’s latest article on this important topic in Employee Benefits & Wellness Excellence.
Related Articles:
Promoting Inclusion and Diversity with Fertility Benefits
Family Building: We Help Everyone Pursue Their Dream to be a Parent
