Google has joined the growing ranks of companies in Australia offering financial reimbursements to staff for fertility treatments such as egg freezing and IVF.
The policy puts Google in line with tech giants Apple and Facebook, which were among the first companies to offer employer-subsidised egg freezing about 10 years ago.Jessica Campbell, Google’s human resources lead in Australia and New Zealand, said the new family-building benefits would make employees feel more supported and valued.
The cost of a single IVF cycle can cost as much as $15,000 in Australia, while egg freezing costs about $5000 for the first cycle.Ms Campbell said the new family-building benefits, which also give parents unlimited access to 24/7 video appointments with experts spanning more than 35 specialities, helped foster an inclusive workplace by supporting various paths to parenthood.
Based on a survey of 447 Australian organisations, the research found it was more common for organisations to offer paid time off to undergo fertility treatments than reimbursements for the procedures.