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Pregnancy-friendly Workplaces
From the Labor Force to the Labor Room and Beyond
By Becky Lane
Today, women of child-bearing age comprise almost half of the U.S. workforce, according to a recent March of Dimes report. And every year, almost 5 percent of these women will have a baby. So the issue of pregnancy-friendly workplaces is one that weighs heavily on the minds of a considerable number of employees.
Employers have noticed this and responded, says the March of Dimes. According to them, an estimated 90 percent of companies with 50 or more employees have some kind of pregnancy health promotion program. And many more have adopted pregnancy-friendly (and family-friendly) work environments.
But what kinds of pregnancy-friendly perks and policies are companies offering these days? How do they benefit their expectant employees? And what do companies get out of providing such a workplace?
SAS, a software company headquartered in Cary, N.C., is doing all it can to attract and keep employees who have children or are interested in having them. They've been on the Fortune 100 Best Companies list for 11 years straight, as well as Carolina Parent magazine's list of the most family-friendly companies in North Carolina. Dave Thomas, corporate public relations for the company, believes about half of the company's managers are women. So what makes them so desirable for employees hoping to start a family?
"We have a fully-staffed onsite healthcare center with doctors and nurse practitioners, which is free to employees and their covered dependents," Thomas says. "In addition to a full range of pediatric services, we have lactation consultants on staff. The vast majority of our staff have private offices with doors, and if you're a nursing mother, you can get a lock on your door to ensure privacy."
