On Tuesday, one of the country’s largest third-party claims administrators announced that it will offer its 1,600 employees paid leave for reproductive health treatments. In a media release, Gallagher Bassett (GB) leaders referred to their initiative as “a first” for financial services and a “game-changer” for the insurance industry.
The release said GB will provide up to 10 days of paid leave per year for IVF treatment and chronic reproductive health conditions, including endometriosis. Preventative screening for breast or prostate cancers are among other covered reproductive health treatments.
Insurance Business asked Tanith Jones (pictured above), the firm’s general manager of people & culture, why she regards providing paid leave for reproductive health as a “game changer”?
“Since announcing the new policy, we have already received positive feedback from several clients and partner organisations that are considering implementing similar policies for their employees,” said Jones.
She said the announcement has also led to more conversations internally about how the firm can further support staff and foster an inclusive culture focusing on wellbeing.
The release also said the initiative was partly a response to the latest research and best practices on reproductive health and wellbeing.
IB asked Jones what her firm saw in this research that led to this new leave offering. She said GB appreciates that reproductive health is often an overlooked aspect of employee wellness.
“Our decision to introduce reproductive leave is rooted in the growing recognition of its importance in workplace policies,” said Jones. “Research has shown that fertility treatments, such as IVF, can be both physically and mentally demanding, often leading to heightened stress and diminished productivity.”
Despite infertility being common - impacting one in six couples in Australia - open discussion about its impacts on people is still fairly uncommon.
Research cited by medical researchers and published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology found that depression levels in people dealing with infertility can be compared to patients diagnosed with cancer.
Jones said employee input “was pivotal in shaping this policy.” She also said staff feedback on the new initiative is “overwhelmingly positive”.
“As IVF and other fertility treatments are become increasingly common in the family planning journey of many Australians, we have heard from numerous staff members about the support this initiative will provide them and their families,” she said.
The GB leave entitlement is also for employees with other medical needs at different life stages. It covers, for example, preventative treatments like mammary and prostate exams.
The National Employment Standards (NES) are the minimum employment entitlements that, by law, must be provided to all employees in both the private and public sectors. Paid leave entitlements under the NES are:
Full-time and part-time employees get four weeks of annual leave based on their ordinary hours of work.
When a child is born or adopted, eligible employees get 22 weeks of paid leave, funded by the government based on the national minimum wage.
All employees - full-time, part-time and casual - are entitled to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave each year.
Full-time employees are entitled to 10 of these days per year.
Employees are entitled to two days compassionate leave each time they meet the criteria, for example after a bereavement.
An employee gets long service leave after a long period of working for the same employer. Laws vary across the country so the entitlement depends on the state or territory.
All employees get paid and don’t work on public holidays. These days can also differ, depending on the state or territory
Would you like your insurance firm to follow GB’s lead and offer paid leave for reproductive health treatments and what other leave entitlements, if any, would you like to see? Please tell us below
