The Awesome Pregnancy Perk A Start-Up Company Offers

With so many American companies offering splashy office perks and work benefits to recruit and retain top talent, it’s surprising we’re still the only developed country in the world that hasn’t made paid parental leave a standard benefit. In fact, most startups that fall below the threshold of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) don’t provide parental leave — paid or unpaid — until an employee explicitly asks for it.

For startups that have avoided adopting a parental leave policy because of cost, profitability or performance concerns, it’s time to reconsider, and here are five good reasons why it could help your company make its mark on the world.

If you’re pregnant and working in an office whose dress code isn’t stretchy yoga pants-friendly, your bank account will take a hit. Business maternity clothes aren cheap. One dress can cost hundreds of dollars, and thats just one outfit.To help pregnant women afford professional attire, Domo, a Utah-based computer software start-up, is offering expecting employees up to $2,000 to spend on maternity clothes.

The mom will receive gift cards to Nordsroms, ASOS and A Pea in the Pod to basically go on a shopping spree to find new work-appropriate clothing that’s also comfortable.This innovative policy started about a year ago when Domo CEO Josh James’ assistant became pregnant. James quickly realized the struggle she was facing to continue to dress professionally while dealing with a changing body.

The CEO tells People, “I’ve always believed that if you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you play good. We want our expectant employees to be able to treat themselves, and buy clothes that make them feel great.” And while the stipend may just be a small gesture in the grand scheme of things, sometimes it’s the small things that make a big difference.

Domo employee and mother of two Erica Bartsch was one of the first women to take advantageof this benefit. She tells Fortune, “Pregnancy is an awkward time for your body. You’re doing this wonderful and amazing thing while going through so many changes the image of what you have in your head is not reflected in the mirror. The benefit made me confident about what I was putting on.”.......Read More....