While there may be some common challenges in the path to parenthood, how individuals build their families is ultimately unique to them. Family building can take a physical, emotional and financial toll on employees. As such, employer-provided family-building benefits can impact employees’ lives in a very personal and meaningful way. These benefits encompass a range of services and support designed to help employees start or expand their families. Common benefits include fertility preservation, surrogacy, adoption and foster assistance, counseling services, fertility education and inclusive leave policies. Family-building benefits include much more than just fertility treatment, which is why they are useful to so many people.
The family-building journey is taxing, and having an employer’s financial and emotional support can help alleviate some stress for those employees. As a result, family-building benefits can help employees feel happier and more fulfilled at work, which can translate into stronger employee loyalty, boosted morale and reduced turnover.
Meeting Employee Demand
Workers’ need and desire for reproductive health benefits are increasing, and many employers are responding accordingly. Family-building benefits are generally more on the minds of younger generations in the workplace, like millennials and Gen Z. In fact, Maven’s 2024 State of Women’s & Family Health Benefits report found that millennials and Gen Z want to work at companies with women’s and family health benefits. More than one-third (35%) of millennials and almost half (46%) of Gen Z said that reproductive and family health benefits influence their decision to stay at their job or take a new one.
Family-building benefits can be advantageous to millennials (born between 1981 and 1996), as they are the largest generation in the workforce. Many are either trying to start families or are navigating parenthood. Millennials are prioritizing fertility support for both men and women—and are increasingly focused on mental health support.
As more Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) members enter the workforce, it’s important for employers also to consider their needs and priorities. Gen Z is more focused on comprehensive care for their full family and reproductive health journeys, even if they haven’t started building families yet. This suggests that this generation is looking for support that encompasses the stages of conception through parenting. From a benefits perspective, Gen Z generally prioritizes benefits that help them prepare for a family before trying to have children. Education and diagnostics can be meaningful at this stage of planning.
In addition to these generations, the growing number of single people and same-sex couples planning families suggests an increasing need for surrogacy and adoption benefits. Meaningful benefits can be part of a robust employee attraction and retention strategy, so it’s critical for employers to understand their workforce demographics, needs and wants.
Benefits matter more now than ever to employees, and employers are taking notice. Furthermore, benefits to support family building have been shifting beyond traditional coverage of fertility treatment. As employers continually evaluate their benefits offerings, they should be aware of several competitive advantages that may come with offering family-building benefits.
Feel free to reach out to us to seek assistance with any workplace guidance. We look forward to supporting your needs and contributing to the success of your organization.