The competition to attract and retain top tech talent is evident and the introduction of egg-freezing as an employee benefit enforces this argument.
In 2014, Facebook announced that it would be adding $20,000 egg-freezing benefit for women employees. The tech giant stated that the decision to introduce the benefit was arrived at after employees made the request. Soon, other high-tech companies would follow suit.
Many women leave the workforce at the peak of the career to start a family thus affecting the company as well as interrupting their career journey. Childcare responsibilities mostly fall on mothers as fathers are unlikely to take time off to bond with the new family member. This may end up creating a gender imbalance at the workplace as a good number of women struggle to re-enter the workforce.
Tech companies are still struggling with gender imbalance and the egg-freezing perk is expected to enhance gender diversity at the workplace. This explains why companies are being commended for investing in efforts to retain and attract the best female employees.
Egg-freezing is now among the most lavish perks offered by tech companies since one round of egg-freezing costs about $10,000 and extra storage fees.
This new trend is yet to become popular in Kenya. There are some facilities that offer egg-freezing services but this practice is yet to become a trend. This could be due to the high costs associated with the procedure and storage.
Kenyan tech firms are yet to adopt this new trend but we are on the right track since most companies offer paid maternity leave.
Also, a few companies offer on-site childcare services. Safaricom, whose workforce consists of 51% women, is perhaps among the few companies offering on-site childcare stations to its call center employees.
The telco had been experiencing high absenteeism and punctuality rates at the call center and it was discovered that childcare arrangements, illnesses, and breastfeeding times were the main causes. That is why the company introduced the on-site childcare station thus creating an enabling environment for call center staffers.
Tech companies offering egg-freezing perks
Facebook started this trend in 2014.
The tech giant announced that it would cater for egg-freezing benefits for both female staff and spouses of its employees.
Next, came Apple.
Today, several tech companies have added egg-freezing to the lineup of benefits for female staff.
Other companies who have jumped on board include Google, Uber, Linkedin, Salesforce, Spotify, Yahoo, Netflix, Intel, and eBay.
Controversies
Skeptics have suggested that the principal beneficiary of egg-freezing is the company since the employer gets more hours out of them. They argue that while these companies paint this benefit as a means of empowerment, the objective is to ensure that the women remain dedicated to the company and not to worry about the biological clock.
There is also the concern that the benefit makes women prioritize work over family. The egg-freezing perks are seen as a strategy to delay parenthood and push plans to have a family.
Some have suggested that instead of offering egg-freezing as a benefit, these companies should offer flexible schedules that can allow the women balance family and work.
In the end, the choice lies with the woman. If she wishes to carry on with work, there is no reason why she should not opt for egg-freezing. Also, some women may be in their mid or late thirties and still single so it makes sense for them to put their eggs on ice. This can also help avoid the expensive fertility treatments later in life.
What are your thoughts on egg-freezing benefit? Talk to us in the comments section.
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