About RMH Compass: Performance Standard

As a nonprofit organization, our independent research and rigorous methodology ensure our tools and resources are unbiased, transparent, and credible. Through our work, we are building a business community that understands the value of RMH benefits and is committed to ensuring access for workers at every level.

RMH Compass Survey

Our goals for the RMH Compass Survey include creating a resource that is:

• Research-Based - Leveraging independent, credible research that measures the provision of different health benefits and policies from a variety of sources allows us to ensure that our standard is rooted in data.

• Aspirational – Each Topic in the RMH Compass standard has three performance tiers that we think of as good, better and best-in-class.  The reality is while many companies will reach the good or better standard for some topics, few companies will reach the best-in-class standard in any area.  This is intentional; we want all companies to be able to identify opportunities for improvement while celebrating their current strengths.

• Informative – RMH Compass is designed to inform and support users to improve their RMH benefits performance. Our Resource Hub  includes supplemental resources such as sample policies, real-world case studies, and business case data that explains how RMH benefits can create value for a company.

• Confidential – All data submitted to RMH Compass by companies are strictly confidential.  For benchmarking and research purposes, data is shared in aggregate (no fewer than 4 companies per data point) and anonymized. More information is available in our privacy policy.

• Evolving – As norms shift over time, so too will our performance standard.  The RMH Compass standard will be revised on a two-year cycle, with input provided by corporate users, subject-matter experts and our Standards Advisory Working Group.

RMH Compass Standard

The performance standard of the RMH Compass is guided by four principles that were developed by a group of reproductive justice and reproductive health experts.  The principles articulate that to meet a high-standard,  businesses must provide:

• Comprehensive reproductive and maternal healthcare 

• A flexible and supportive work environment with paid leave policies 

• Transparent and clear communication of benefits that emphasizes employee confidentiality and data privacy

• Aligned political giving and transparency

Sixteen (16) specific Topics were identified as critical to meeting the principles.  These Topics cover a range of health benefits and workplace policies that support reproductive and maternal health of workers.  

Three performance tiers were identified for each of the 16 Topics.  Performance tiers focus not just on the provision of particular benefits, but who in the company qualifies for them.  Ensuring equity in access and cost coverage or reimbursement is the focus of best-in-class performance tiers.

In sum, the performance standard for RMH Compass has four principles that together cover 16 total Topics.  Each topic has three-performance tiers.  A diagnostic survey was created to gather company-level data across performance tiers for the 16 Topics; the diagnostic survey contains 54 weighted questions.  Responses to these questions correspond directly to the performance tiers for each topic.

Principle 1: Comprehensive reproductive and maternal healthcare

• Healthcare Affordability and Access to All Workers

  GOOD: Employers offer an employer-sponsored health plan to all workers plus their dependents that work 30 or more hours per week that complies with the ACA affordability limit.

  BETTER: Employer-sponsored health plan is extended to all workers (and their dependents) that work 20+ hours per week; if a High-deductible Health Plan is offered, the company funds the first $500(ind)/$1000(family) of a HSA for workers (with incentives is ok).

  BEST: Employer has developed an income-based approach to premium pricing or deductible pricing or offers more than one of the following:- HDHP with $1000+ (ind)/ $2000+ (family) contribution to HSA- Co-pay only plan- Free employee-only plan

• Alternative Cost Reimbursement Mechanisms

  GOOD: Offering HSA or FSA accounts so that workers can get reimbursed for medical and/or related costs (childcare, etc) in a tax-advantaged way.

  BETTER: Employer funds at least the first $500 ind/ $1000 family of all FSA or HSA accounts on behalf of their employees OR employer offers a HRA. This way, the employer is reimbursing those costs for their employees.

  BEST: Employer provides funds (such as LSAs or EAFs) for ineligible workers that is funded at $500/worker or more with language that explicitly states funds can be used for any one of the following purposes: childcare reimbursement, doula services, OTC contraceptives, surrogacy or adoption expenses, unreimbursable travel related costs (non-medical), or 100% of employees are eligible for ESHP and employer funds $1000+ (ind)/$2000+ (family) of a HRA, HSA or FSA account.

• Menstrual and Menopause Benefits

  GOOD: Provision of free menstrual products in all workplace bathrooms (this will cross-reference in our facilities research memo)

  BETTER: N/A (research question focused on gathering information to better understand current corporate practice)

  BEST: N/A (research question focused on gathering information to better understand current corporate practice)

• Contraceptive Coverage

  GOOD: Employer-sponsored health plan that is compliant with ACA contraceptive provisions plus contraceptives are free (no co-pay)

  BETTER: ESHP covers at least two of the following: OTC contraceptives without prescription, coverage of 12-month supply of contraceptives, and coverage of vasectomies in employer-sponsored health plan; and telehealth benefits are covered for contraceptive services, including prescription of birth control methods.

  BEST: ESHP offers automatic approval of exceptions which ensures coverage of all unique contraceptives. Employers provide a detailed explanation of how to use the process in all health plan documents, which are made available online in an employee benefits resource hub, as well as highlighted in any onboarding health plan information packets.

• Family Formation Benefits

  GOOD: Employer covers comprehensive fertility benefits that includes fertility diagnostic services, in vivo fertilization, in vitro fertilization and eligibility for these benefits is consistent with ASRM definition.

  BETTER: Benefits cover egg/sperm/embryo freezing, adoption and surrogacy services are covered and a lifetime maximum reimbursement of at least $40,000 is offered.

  BEST: Employer provides access to a third-party comprehensive fertility support vendor (such as Carrot, Maven, Progyny or others that help to manage and reimburse for fertility services) with coverage of at least two fertility “cycles”.

• Mental Health Benefits

  GOOD: Employer offers comprehensive mental health coverage, which includes evaluations, therapy (e.g. CBT), medication (e.g. SSRIs), medication management, and inpatient treatment, through an employer-sponsored health plan that complies with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Employer offers telehealth benefits either through their existing medical plan, EAP, or a third-party vendor.

  BETTER: Employer offers a confidential EAP that is free to all employees and provides direct access to mental health professionals virtually and/or in-person, with at least 6 counseling sessions per issue.

  BEST: Employer offers a wellness program that includes mental health workshops (e.g. stress management training), peer-peer support groups for mental health conditions, and discounted self-care apps.

• Abortion Benefits and Related Travel Reimbursements

  GOOD: Employer-sponsored health plan that includes elective and medically necessary abortion coverage and travel reimbursement for workers and their dependents who must travel for care. Telehealth access should be included in the plan benefits.

  BETTER: Employer offers a travel policy to all workers that reimburses travel expenses of at least $2500 and administered by a third-party vendor and accessible to eligble and enrolled employees. And/or, Employer offers a LSA/EAF with reimbursement of at leat $500 to all employees. Funds can be used for a broad range of purposes but it should be explicitly stated that they can be used to supplement reimbursements needed for non-medical reproductive health needs and abortion related travel expenses.

  BEST: Employer offers a travel policy that reimburses travel expenses of at least $5000 and administered by a third-party vendor and accesible to all employees. Or, Lifestyle Spending Account (LSA) or Employee Assistance Fund (EAF) that can be used for health and wellness purposes and that includes a minimum $1500 of funds for each worker. Funds can be used for a broad range of purposes but it should be explicitly stated that they can be used to supplement reimbursements needed for non-medical reproductive health needs and abortion related travel expenses.

• Doula, Lactation and Midwifery Benefits

  GOOD: A ESHP covers in-network midwifery services

  BETTER: Midwifery (in-network or out-of-network) services reimbursed at rates that are 150% or more of the medicaid reimbursement rates. Doula services and lactation services covered/reimbursed via ESHP or third-party vendor (Carrot, Maven, Progeny, other).

  BEST: Doula services covered up to $1500 or more through a maternity bundle or similar benefit offered through an employer-sponsored health plan or third-party vendor (such as Progeny, Carrot, Maven, etc) available to all eligible workers and their dependents.

Principle 2: Flexible and supportive work environment with paid leave policies

• Living Wage Commitment

  GOOD: The employer's minimum starting wage is equal to or exceeds MIT's Living Wage Calculator's "Living Wage" estimate for individuals (1 Adult/ 0 Children). Living wages are evaluated at the County/State level.

  BETTER: The employer's minimum starting wage is equal to or exceeds MIT's Living Wage Calculator's "Living Wage" estimate for families with two working adults (2 Working Adults/ 2 Children). Living wages are evaluated at the County/State level.

  BEST: The employer's minimum starting wage is equal to or exceeds MIT's Living Wage Calculator's "Living Wage" estimate for families with one working adult (1 Working Adult/ 2 Children). Living wages are evaluated at the County/State level.

• Workplace Accommodation

  GOOD: A dedicated clean, safe, locked and clearly marked room that is shielded from view and accessible to all workers for use for lactation, hormone therapy and other reproductive and maternal health needs; a written policy that supports lactation breaks.

  BETTER: Employer offers a separate, designated lactation room equipped with a sink and refrigerator for milk storage; all workers have access to at least one ADA accessible single-stall restroom for menstrual privacy.

  BEST: Any one of the following: covering cost to ship breast milk if a breast-feeding worker travels for work; on-site childcare; subsidized child care; emergency back-up childcare; travel policy allows workers to avoid non-essential travel to reproductive restrictive states.

• Paid Time-Off

  GOOD: Employers offer paid sick leave and bereavement leave (paid or unpaid) to all workers. Sick leave includes at least one hour of earned paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 56 hours per year (7 days per year year based on a 40-hour work week) and a minimum of 3 bereavement leave days per death of immediate family member or pregnancy loss.

  BETTER: Employer offers a bereavement policy that explicitly covers pregnancy loss-related events, including stillbirth and miscarriage, and is paid.

  BEST: Employer offers bereavement leave that includes one or more of the following: an unsuccessful reproductive procedure, failed adoption match or an adoption that is not finalized because it is contested, a failed surrogacy agreement, or a diagnosis that negatively impacts pregnancy or fertility OR employees are allowed to use sick or PTO leave to accommodate for one or more of the following: reproductive and maternal health-related issues, including menstrual/menopause symptoms, prenatal and fertility appointments.

• Paid Family Leave

  GOOD: Employer provides at least 6 weeks of paid(100% of salary) parental leave that is equally accessible to all employees (regardless of job status, ie. part-time, hourly, etc). Policies are explicitly gender-neutral and cover leave for surrogacy, foster and adoption. Birthing parents receive at least 8 weeks of fully-paid leave. Consider any payment covered through a government-run program as part of the compensation/pay for that worker, though employer must pay 100% of salary.

  BETTER: Paid family leave is at least 12 weeks per year for full credit. For partial credit, the paid family leave policy does not have any tenure requirements (meaning there is no waiting period before qualifying for these benefits). Optionally, the employer pays the full-cost of short-term disability insurance for all workers.

  BEST: Paid family leave is at least 24 weeks per year.

• Shift-Work Best Practices

  GOOD: Employer has at least four of the following practices in place: sets schedules two weeks in advance, checks-in with employees each month regarding their preferred schedules and availability, allows shift-swapping and does not utilize on-call shifts; and breastfeeding employees are allowed as many paid pumping breaks as they need during a shift, with each break being at least 30 minutes.

  BETTER: Employer guarantees show-up pay or provides a guaranteed minimum number of hours of pay for employees who are scheduled, even if the employee is sent home in the event of low customer traffic.

  BEST: Employer has at least two of the following practices in place: cross-trains employees to be familiar with multiple roles and utilize multiple skills as an investment in career progression, surveys workers on their satisfaction with shift-scheduling practices and the survey includes a question about whether managers comply with all shift-schedule policies.

Principle 3: Transparent and clear communication of benefits with an emphasis on employee confidentiality and data privacy

• Data Privacy

  GOOD: The employer uses a data minimization approach to data collection, including at least four of the following practices:

  - Employee data, including personal and health data, is only collected for a specific, clearly defined purpose

  - When that purpose(s) no longer exists, the data is deleted

  - When retained, personal data is encrypted for authorized access only

  - The company’s approach to data minimization, including the data it collects, is clearly described in an employee handbook

  - A review of data security policies, procedures, and the effectiveness of security controls and monitoring is conducted annually

  BETTER: Employers requires or verifies that all third party benefits vendors meet the following standards:

  - Use employee data only for limited purposes related to the service being performed

  - Regularly audit and monitor to ensure data protection policies and procedures are correct, and that any vulnerabilities are identified

  - Encrypt and anonymize all relevant data that might be traced back to specific individuals

  - Train their staff to understand the importance of data security and have awareness of policies and procedures for securely handling the data, as well as responding to potential cyber threats.

  BEST: Employers have at least three of the following practices in place:

  - Has a policy about how it will handle law enforcement and civil requests for information that commits to satisfying government data requests in the narrowest possible way and only if accompanied by a judicially enforceable order

  - All third-party benefit vendors who hold employee data are required to only respond to law enforcement and civil requests for information if a judicially enforceable order is presented

  - Whenever legally permissible, employees are notified before their data is turned over to law enforcement or a civil litigant so they may attempt to limit or prevent disclosure

  - Employees are able to access, edit, and delete their health data

• Communicating Benefits and Manager Training

  GOOD: Employer has developed a resource portal AND handbook that involves at least four of the following:

  - Is reviewed and updated annually or whenever a change is made to plan benefits

  - Outlines all benefits available to workers

  - Provides clear and specific instruction on how benefits are accessed/utilized via third-party vendors

  - Includes contact information for all third-party vendors so workers understand how to confidentially access the benefit

  - Includes language that clarifies how data will be kept confidential and safe for health-related benefits

  BETTER: All people managers are required to go through an annual training that covers at least three or four of the following:

  - How to equitably ensure access and utilization of company's benefits by direct reports

  - How to respect privacy and have awareness of sensitive information

  - The range of potential reproductive, maternal and menopausal health needs of workers

  - The effects of postpartum depression on both the birthing and non-birthing parent

  - All worker benefit requirements included in FMLA, PWFA, PUMP Act, FLSA

  BEST: The employer assures that benefits information is available in all languages/dialects that reflect the primary language of every worker and/or translators are provided to explain benefits in preferred languages. The employer surveys workers at least annually about two or more of the following:

  - Their satisfaction with current benefits offerings

  - Their preferred benefits offerings

  - Their satisfaction with the employer's ability to manage workers’ reproductive and maternal health benefits needs

  - Their satisfaction with their direct manager's support of reproductive and maternal health benefits needs

Principle 4: Political donations and public policy advocacy that are aligned with worker needs

• Political Giving Practices

  GOOD: Employer is transparent about all political donations - those required to be disclosed and those made to third-parties that are not subject to disclosure requirements - made from its treasury funds and through corporate PACs (SSFs). By transparent, we mean making this information public to internal and external stakeholders by listing their giving on their website or through another public forum. In addition, the company has a written, values-aligned political giving policy and has established a process for evaluating potential recipients (individual candidates and organizations) of political donations.

  BETTER: Employer has at least two of the following: formed a multi-stakeholder governance committee - with at least one employee representative - that reviews all political gifts using the evaluation process defined in the good standard, the governance committee receives reports from third-party organizations to evaluate how funds are used and to affirm that those donations are values-aligned, and the Board of Directors has oversight of all political giving activities.

  BEST: Employer has a policy in place that states it does not make any political contributions OR will only make political contributions to candidates and organizations that support women’s reproductive and maternal health rights.