In this day and age of corporate downsizing and diminishing worker benefits, American Express just announced a new, exceptionally generous, benefits for the company’s U.S.-based regular full-time and part-time employees.
First on the list is 20 weeks of paid parental leave. In addition, the company will be increasing its employee benefits for reproductive services, surrogacy, adoption and lactation.
The new paid parental leave policy covers women and men welcoming a child through birth, adoption and surrogacy. In addition to the 20 weeks of paid parental leave, birthing mothers will be eligible to receive paid, medically-necessary leave related to the birth of their child, which is generally, six to eight additional weeks.
To help ensure employees feel supported from the moment they decide to become parents through their return to work and beyond, American Express is also increasing a variety of family benefits.
Beginning January 1, 2017, U.S.-based employees will be eligible for:
- Reimbursement of expenses up to $35,000 to help with the cost of an adoption or surrogacy event (up to a maximum of two events per employee)
- A lifetime maximum benefit of $35,000 for reproductive and fertility treatments, available under the company’s health plans
- Free 24-hour access to board-certified lactation consultants
- Free breast-milk shipping while traveling on company business.
“American Express remains deeply committed to our working families and an inclusive culture that supports all of our employees,” says Kevin Cox, Chief Human Resources Officer, American Express. “These significant enhancements to our benefits reflect a continued investment in the overall well-being of our employees and their families.”
Additionally, beginning in January, expectant parents will have access to a parent concierge, who will help employees understand and navigate parental leave and the wide array of parental resources and programs available to them.
Beyond the benefit changes announced, American Express provides a comprehensive package of free, family-friendly benefits to help parents manage work and care-giving responsibilities.
Some benefits include:
- Personal Concierge Services, programs providing employees with a variety of discounts and access to a group of researchers, ready and able to help with their to-do lists
- Back-Up Care, a program that provides employees with up to 20 days, per dependent, per calendar year, of quality in-home or center-based care
- Healthy Babies, a program for expectant mothers, providing them with a wide-range of healthcare resources and incentives
- Flexible work arrangements, allowing employees to work directly with their leaders to determine the best work arrangement for their role.
People interested in learning more about careers at American Express in the U.S. can visit: https://jobs.americanexpress.com/us.
