| Creating viable maternity leave benefits is a vexing | | | | will never use maternity benefits, and may seek an |
| problem for many small businesses. Helping female | | | | alternative form of compensation - raising the stakes |
| workers fund their maternity leave is a noble goal. But | | | | yet again. |
| funding maternity leave is very costly, and creates a | | | | Voluntary Employee Benefits are the Answer |
| favored employee class: working women in the | | | | Voluntary employees benefits provide answers to |
| growing family life stage. Voluntary employee benefit | | | | these employer dilemmas. Voluntary benefits allow |
| programs help employers create maternity leave | | | | working women to create maternity leave income for |
| benefits that fund maternity leave, treat all employee | | | | their normal labor and delivery, plus provide protection |
| classes equally, and come at no direct cost to the | | | | in case of pregnancy complications, delivery |
| employer. | | | | complications, and premature birth. Employees pay for |
| Maternity Leave Benefits | | | | the programs themselves by payroll deduction, so |
| Women in the growing family life-stage will gravitate to | | | | there is no direct cost to the employer. Make the |
| employers offering maternity leave benefits. Having | | | | options available to all employees, and no special |
| and raising children is quite expensive, and to begin the | | | | favors are being done for any single employee |
| journey with six to eight weeks of unpaid leave is a | | | | segment. Women in the growing family life stage will |
| burden to many couples. Plus, there is also the chance | | | | have their maternity benefits, and the remaining |
| that mom may miss additional time from work prior to | | | | employees will have expanded options to protect |
| delivery due to complications, after work because of | | | | themselves and their families in case of unexpected |
| postpartum problems, or to take care of a sick or | | | | accidents and illnesses. |
| prematurely delivered baby. Any employer offering | | | | The most common forms of voluntary benefits are |
| solutions to this wage gap problem has a leg up on | | | | flexible spending accounts, and supplemental health |
| recruiting and retaining workers in this category. | | | | insurance. Flexible spending accounts use pre-tax |
| But how can a small employer offer maternity benefits | | | | dollars to help lower a variety of maternity related |
| without driving up costs, or unfairly favoring one | | | | expenses. A healthcare flex accounts can lower the |
| employee segment over another? Providing six to | | | | costs of infertility treatments, pregnancy expenses, |
| eight week of paid leave is an option many small | | | | and left over medical bills associated with a long NICU |
| employers can not afford. When you add on the need | | | | stay for a sick infant. Dependent care flex accounts |
| to replace income for complications and/or care of a | | | | help lower the costs of child care, making it easier for |
| sick infant the costs can quickly spin out of control. | | | | women to return to work. Supplemental health |
| Plus, employers need to consider how male | | | | insurance helps women create maternity leave pay |
| employees and older female employees may feel | | | | for their normal delivery, plus it provides additional |
| about the extra benefits provided to one small | | | | protection in case of pregnancy complications, delivery |
| segment of the employee population. Many employees | | | | disorders, premature birth, accidents and illnesses. |