The benefits offered by employers to employees have significant impacts on workplace culture, and atmosphere. While health insurance, 401K contributions, and paid maternity leave are a few of the most common employer benefits available from companies across the country, forward-thinking businesses like Pinterest and American Express are extending their benefits to include employees with diverse needs as well.

As of July 1, 2017, Pinterest will begin offering its employees up to $20,000 in surrogacy benefits. Employees will be able to utilize that $20,000 to cover any of the expenses involved in surrogacy, like legal fees and travel costs. This step of progress isn’t the first time that Pinterest has purposefully revised its benefit policies to accommodate its employees; the social media giant already offers fertility benefits of up to $20,000 for employees striving to become pregnant, as well as a 16-week parental leave and a four-week transition period.

The head of diversity and inclusion at Pinterest, Candice Morgan, explained in a blog exactly how the company’s new surrogacy benefits came to fruition: “Our [team] often speaks with employees to learn more about how we should expand our benefits, and we recently spoke with a colleague who’s been looking into surrogacy with his husband. The high costs associated with surrogacy were raised, and we began looking into how we could help him, and others in similar situations, ease the financial burden.”

American Express is another company that has served as a trailblazer for providing employees with surrogacy benefits. In fact, American Express just increased the benefits it offers employees for fertility, surrogacy, adoption, and lactation. Every employee can obtain up to $35,000 for each of two surrogacies or adoptions.

Morgan emphasized the need for surrogacy benefits in order to ensure that companies of all sizes can build inclusive workplaces. If more companies can develop their own surrogacy benefits programs, surrogacy could become a viable option for countless couples hoping to start their own families.

Open Arms Surrogacy & Egg Donation is here to provide support for couples around Bradenton, Florida who are embarking on their own surrogacy journeys. As one of the leading surrogacy and egg donation agencies in the United States, Open Arms is dedicated to building families in every way possible. Call (941) 741-4994 to learn more.