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Pregnancy-friendly Workplaces

From the Labor Force to the Labor Room and Beyond

By Becky Lane

Their benefits aren't limited to expectant women either. Thomas' wife is pregnant, and he has attended a series of classes provided by SAS called Hey Baby, taught by staff at the company's healthcare center, which cover "most every topic of interest to a pregnant couple," he says. SAS also started an onsite daycare center in 1981, which is subsidized for employees, who pay $350 a month compared to more than $1,000 a month for comparable care in the area, Thomas says.

Another company committed to its pregnant employees, Bank of America has been listed on Working Mother magazine's list of 100 Best Companies for the past couple of years. The magazine sites family-friendly policies such as the company's flexible working options (telecommuting, flex or shared hours, compressed schedules) and nine onsite daycare centers. Also, all parents working there more than a year get up to 26 weeks of leave for a birth or adoption, and there's an in-house Parents Helping Parents Web site with advice for raising kids.

Employers are coming up with all kinds of pregnancy-friendly perks. "Complimentary parking for the last trimester for those working in large cities where public transportation is used frequently (like in Chicago) is a huge thing that doesn't cost [companies] a lot of money but pays off handsomely," says Megy Karydes of Chicago, Ill., a marketing/PR consultant with Karydes Consulting and mom of two young children.

Ann Travis, a senior vice president at Bank of America, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., took full advantage of her company's pregnancy-friendly offerings during her two pregnancies. "I had a lot of flexibility because Quinn [my daughter] was born so early [two months premature], and with Jacob I was on bed rest and worked remotely for the better part of three months," Travis says. She says it was helpful knowing that her job would be waiting for her when she returned and that she wouldn't have to worry about finances while out on bed rest or staying home to care for her preemie.

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