Why Employers Should Be More Transparent About Reproductive & Maternal Health Benefits
The U.S. has a long history of setting a low-bar for workplace policies to support the needs of working women. This means corporate America has been left to navigate these issues on their own, unlike their competitors around the globe. Policies and benefits focused on supporting reproductive and maternal health are inconsistent and opaque – few employers publicly share their benefits offerings and most people don’t feel comfortable asking about benefits they might need at some point in their future.
When Roe v. Wade was overturned in June of 2022, it led not only to national alarm concerning women’s reproductive rights, but to state control of abortion laws and increased impact of related employer policies. Because employers, not government agencies, largely control the health benefits that determine worker access to affordable healthcare in the US, they play a crucial role in the quality of reproductive and maternal health services that Americans receive.
For employers, here are some factors that make the business case for supporting the reproductive and maternal health benefits of their workforce:
Strong public support for reproductive rights. Two-thirds of Americans support a federal right to abortion. Public opinion reflects workforce and consumer opinion. To stay aligned with employee and consumer preferences and needs, employers should ensure their health benefits support and protect the reproductive and maternal health needs of their workers.
Attracting new talent. Women make up over 57% of the American workforce, and job applicants are increasingly looking for high-quality jobs with equitable policies and robust benefits packages. 52 percent of workers age 18-34 believe their companies aren’t doing enough to help workers get the reproductive health access they need. This can have an enormous impact on company recruitment and hiring efforts which has a direct impact on bottom-line performance.
Retaining existing talent. 34% of women and men under 40 would consider leaving their companies for a job with an organization that provides better reproductive and maternal health benefits. Employee turnover costs companies considerable time, effort, money, and lost productivity—and ultimately, lost profits.
Improving company diversity and equity. Reproductive and maternal health coverage is critical for gender equity in the workplace and gender equity is an important part of a company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Qualified in-demand job candidates of various races, ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities are likely to view gender equity (which affects half of the human population) as the most basic sign of how inclusive and fair a company is in other regards.
Measure Your Organization’s Reproductive & Maternal Health Benefits
The first-of-its-kind performance evaluation and benchmarking tool, Reproductive & Maternal Health Compass (RMH Compass) is now available for use by all U.S. employers. Developed with support from Ford Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Educational Foundation of America, RMH Compass has the tools and resources to equip corporate leaders with the performance insights necessary to offer best-in-class RMH benefits to their workforce
