Women are very much still striving for equality in the workplace and remain underrepresented across many industries, particularly in more senior roles. To try and achieve equality, companies are adding new benefits to attract and retain women specifically. At Adzuna, we have taken a look at the best perks currently available to women and where you can find them.
Fertility benefits
Number of vacancies advertising perk: 39
Top companies offering perk: Clifford Chance, Goldman Sachs, Verkanda
Large numbers of companies are currently offering fertility benefits. These types of benefits may take a different form depending on the company so it is definitely worth looking into it before assuming that they will cover every expense. Perks may include contributions or paying for IVF, surrogacy support, and egg-freezing.
Clifford Chance is one company offering fertility perks. The London-based company is covering costs of investigations and treatment of up to £15,000. Other companies offering similar perks include Goldman Sachs and Verkanda.
Menstrual leave
Number of vacancies advertising perk: 11
Top companies offering perk: Linearity GmbH, Trinnovo Group
Some companies are offering menstrual leave for women. With 73% of women struggling to work in the way that they want to due to their period, it is great that companies are starting to recognise some of the challenges faced by women. It is estimated that menstrual cramps are responsible for an average of nine days of lost productivity per year. This is huge and probably the reasoning used by many companies to implement paid menstrual leave.
Tech company Linearity GmbH offers women one day off per month on top of their annual leave for this very reason. Recruitment company Trinnovo Group and banking company Nuri also offer this perk, with women being able to take off 10 additional days per year at both companies.
HRT paid prescriptions
Number of vacancies advertising perk: multiple
Top companies offering perk: Boots, Timpson
Another way in which companies are helping women going through menopause is by offering to pay for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Right now, HRT is a pretty hot topic due to shortages being seen across the country. It is good to know, however, that some companies help out their staff with the costs of it. With an estimated 900,000 women leaving work entirely due to the impact of menopause, this is probably more important than ever.
Boots and Timpson have both offered to pay for their staff’s HRT prescriptions. This only really benefits women in England, as those in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland already have free prescriptions. However, for those living in England, the cost of prescriptions can quickly add up.
Pregnancy loss leave
Number of vacancies advertising perk: 229
Top companies offering perk: Channel 4, Monzo, Venntro Media Group
Losing a baby is traumatic for parents, so it’s great to see that companies are starting to offer paid time off following a miscarriage.
Venntro Media Group and Fullstory both offer parents as long as they need to take off to physically and mentally recover. Atkins and Palmer also offer paid time off for miscarriages. Channel 4 and WeAgile, a creative studio, both offer parents two weeks of paid leave for pregnancy loss. Channel 4 also offers parents counselling following their pregnancy loss.
For parents who terminate their pregnancy, there are also some companies that offer time off to recover.
Monzo offers colleagues who suffer a pregnancy loss up to 10 additional days of leave. The company includes but doesn’t limit pregnancy loss to stillbirth, miscarriage, and abortion. Venntro Media Group also has a policy that treats abortion in the same way as miscarriage.
Menopause support
Number of vacancies advertising perk: 134
Top companies offering perk: Specsavers
You have probably heard a lot of talk about menopause in the news recently. But, did you know that some companies are supporting women going through menopause? This is important because it’s the cause of many more senior women leaving the workforce at the height of their careers. Supporting women through menopause is an important step to retaining more senior women in particular.
Lawrence Dean Recruitment is currently recruiting for a banking company offering menopause support. The company offers a 24/7 helpline, appointments with experienced menopause-trained GPs plus a 12-week check-in. Specsavers have set up a support group, MenoTalk, for people to discuss experiencing menopause or even just living with someone experiencing it.
Guidance to support people going through menopause can be found across the internet, such as this guide from CIPD.
Enhanced maternity leave
Number of vacancies advertising perk: 13,081
Top companies offering perk: Audi
In the UK, the Statutory Maternity Pay is 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks. Following this, new mums are paid a maximum of £156.66 for the next 33 weeks. This can be a large pay cut for some new mums so companies are finding ways to help out.
Audi offers its staff an enhanced maternity leave/adoption leave. This particular company offers an impressive 6 months of fully paid maternity leave.
Maternity vouchers
Number of vacancies advertising perk: multiple
Top companies offering perk: Timpson
Some companies contribute to new accessories and clothing for both mother and baby.
Timpson is one example of this. They offer staff who are expectant mothers £25 towards a new maternity wear wardrobe. As well as this, they also offer a £25 Mothercare voucher upon the birth of the baby.
Some of the perks on this list will help women out in some form, especially those who are expecting. However, employers should still strive to eliminate the gender pay gap. These perks for women should not be used as a cheaper replacement for paying their female employees more. If you’re looking for a new job, make sure that you are being paid fairly, with these types of perks being seen as an added bonus.
Read more: How is employee burnout being tackled in 2022?
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