Baby Steps

A company might offer the most comprehensive benefits package around, but without the right communications plan, employees could have no idea. One challenge is that benefits announcements compete with other messages and priorities that are part of our daily lives at work, and it’s easy to get lost in the noise. On this episode, we talk with two experts in benefits communication who both capture attention and inspire employees to take action. Whether you’re prepping for open enrollment or launching a new benefit, listen for tips on promoting benefits in a distributed workforce, talking about sensitive topics like fertility benefits, and working benefits programs into other conversations online or in person.

More resources: 

5 fertility benefit communication tips for open enrollment

Fertility care can be expensive, but fertility benefits can actually help employers lower healthcare costs. We discuss that seeming paradox with Mary Lasky, Director of Benefits at Accolade, which provides care delivery, navigation, and advocacy services. Later in the episode, we talk with a fertility doctor about the difference between common fertility treatments and how fertility care has evolved to improve outcomes and ultimately reduce costs, too.

More resources:

How fertility benefits actually help lower costs

Getting a cancer diagnosis is one of the scariest experiences someone can go through. When our guests Amanda and Tracy were diagnosed with cancer in their early 30s, they were told their recommended treatments would lead to infertility. Then they learned that neither of their insurance plans would cover fertility preservation. This week on Baby Steps, hear their stories and how their nonprofit The Chick Mission advocates for fertility coverage and provides grants to cover fertility preservation after a cancer diagnosis.

Show notes: 

The Chick Mission

How to plan for the future with fertility preservation

If you’re an HR leader, maybe you’re already sold on the value of fertility benefits. But what about the rest of the stakeholders at your company? In this episode, we talk with Leah Sutton, SVP, Global HR at Elastic, about how she makes the case for fertility benefits to her leadership team, including the financial side. We also talk with a fertility physician about the impact culturally competent care can have on outcomes, especially for members of the BIPOC community. 

Show notes: 

How to talk to your CFO about fertility benefits

How fertility benefits can actually lower healthcare costs

Lawyers who specialize in donor-assisted reproduction and adoption dread getting one call in particular from intended parents: Their baby is due in a few days and they’re ready to finish up their paperwork. The problem? They should have gotten in touch with a lawyer at the beginning of the process. In this episode, we talk with two experts on the legal side of donor-assisted reproduction and adoption. We discuss why a call to a lawyer should come much earlier in these family-forming journeys — and how HR leaders can ensure their employees have the resources they need. 

Show notes:

Why legal resources are a crucial part of fertility benefits

PairTree: Connecting adoptive parents with birth moms 

International Fertility Law Group

Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng

While infertility and fertility care are common, not everyone has direct experience with them. This can make it harder for decision makers to understand why something like fertility benefits can be so impactful. That’s one reason this week’s guests founded Fertility Matters at Work: to educate employers on the emotional, physical, and logistical realities of fertility journeys — and what support employees need. On Baby Steps, co-founders Becky and Natalie share their personal experiences balancing work and fertility treatments and discuss the work they do to raise awareness of these journeys in the workplace. 

Learn more:

Fertility Matters at Work 

How to create a supportive environment for aspiring parents

There’s a story behind every resignation. In this episode of our podcast, we talk to someone who left her job, not because of her boss or her workload, but because her benefits didn’t support her goal of becoming a single-intending parent — even after she advocated for coverage.

Show notes:

Carrot's 2021 Fertility at Work survey

Aden's Plan A podcast

If you’ve had a conversation about fertility or fertility benefits in the past, chances are it was primarily focused on female infertility or IVF. And while that is a critical piece of the puzzle, it’s just one piece. In this episode, Rahab Hammad, Senior Benefits Manager at Snap, talks about how her understanding of fertility benefits changed during her research process — and how much more support her company could offer than she first realized. You’ll also hear from a couple who went on two gestational carrier (GC) journeys, which were so complicated that they ultimately created their own agency to support others pursuing it. 

Resources:

Employer guide to LGBTQ+-inclusive fertility benefits

5 signs a fertility benefit isn’t actually inclusive 

My Surrogacy Journey

If an employee approached you about how their fertility journey might impact their work schedule, how would you respond? Even for those with years of experience in HR, it can be challenging to know exactly what to say about something so personal. In this episode of Baby Steps, we talk with a clinical psychologist and a fertility at work coach about how compassion, curiosity, and flexibility can make these conversations as supportive as possible.

Show notes:

If you're interested in developing a better understanding of what employees might be going through when pursuing parenthood, download Fertility in the Workplace: A guide to being a supportive manager.

Learn more about the impact infertility can have on mental health.

Every country handles rules and regulations around fertility care a little differently — or, in many cases, very differently. Cultural nuances play a powerful role, too. These differences create a challenge for companies looking to provide fertility benefits that meet the needs of all of their employees. 

We talked with Julie Fernandez of Momentive, the creators of SurveyMonkey, about how her company chose fertility benefits for their global employees. We also touched on benefits communications strategies for employees outside the U.S., a personal story from a Momentive employee, and how Momentive uses fertility benefits to win over job candidates globally.

Show notes:

Find more tips on finding fertility benefits for a global workforce from Carrot’s Global Solutions team.

Read more about Momentive’s experience with Carrot in our case study.