U.S. employers are increasing their family and caregiving benefits in 2023, according to a new survey by the Society for Human Resource Management.
The survey, which polled more than 4,000 employers, found a quarter (25 per cent) said they cover infertility treatments and in vitro fertilization, while five per cent cover egg freezing for non-medical reasons. Slightly more than a third (34 per cent) of employers offer paid adoption leave. And more than half of employers said they offer onsite lactation facilities.
A third (33 per cent) of employers said they offer paid leave for employees caring for immediate family members, while 18 per cent said they provide paid leave for workers to care for extended family. By comparison, a majority (83 per cent) said they provide unpaid leave to care for immediate family and 36 per cent said they offer unpaid leave to care for extended family.
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More than a quarter (28 per cent) said they offer coverage for weight loss surgery, in response to increasing media coverage on the health risks of obesity. About a tenth (11 per cent) said they reimburse employees for domestic travel expenses related to seeking medical care, while just six per cent said they do so for international travel.
“In today’s job market, employer-sponsored benefits act as a key recruitment tool, but they’re also pivotal to the employee experience and thus to retention, satisfaction and engagement,” said Alex Alonso, chief knowledge officer at the SHRM, in a press release. “Employers are listening to their employees about their own wants and needs, but also the needs of their families, as shown by the increase in family support benefits and the emergence of paid travel expenses for medical care.”