We Are Expanding Our Parental Leave and Abortion Policy

We love our parents at BAM. As our CEO, Beck Bamberger, says, “Hire moms!” In light of Roe v. Wade and the state of parental leave in America, BAM is announcing its expanded parental leave policy and abortion benefits below:

• BAM offers 25⅓ weeks (6 months) of full pay and job guarantee to all eligible employees participating in BAM's parental leave policy.
• In response to changes in reproductive healthcare laws in certain states in the US, BAM will provide travel benefits to facilitate access to adequate resources for abortions. BAM will pay up to $5,000 in travel expenses for team members seeking non-life-threatening medical care, including abortions, if access to a medically safe abortion is not available within 100 miles of an employee’s home/within their home state.
• For those experiencing a miscarriage or pregnancy loss during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, you may take up to 10 days of paid time off, for weeks 12-24, you may take 3-4 weeks paid time off, and for weeks 24-40, you may take up to 6 weeks paid time off.
• We are continuing to partner with KindBody, an inclusive fertility and reproductive healthcare provider, in order to offer our team discounted options for full-spectrum fertility benefits including fertility assessment, egg freezing, IUI/monitoring, IVF, egg storage, and 3rd party reproduction.
  
  

Here’s what a few of our BAMFs have to say about our latest expanded policies: 

“At its core, having paid maternity leave meant that I could immerse myself completely in my new role as a mom and be fully present for my children. Unlike many new parents, I was fortunate to know I had both job and financial security during my maternity leave. This is a luxury I don’t take for granted and I’m incredibly grateful to work for an organization that prioritizes paid family leave.” - Lauren Grassetti, Senior Vice President at BAM

“While I don’t plan to have another baby anytime soon, I realize it is a luxury in this country to experience 6 months of paid leave. I’m proud and grateful to work at a firm that offers this benefit. When the time does come, I’m thankful I’ll have the opportunity to immerse myself in motherhood and still be financially stable.” - Damaris Lara, Account Executive at BAM

“I am a woman who has known for most of my adult life that I do not want biological children. I have never romanticized the idea of having children. In fact, anytime I’ve tried to imagine being a mother, I’ve swung the other way. I am overly realistic when considering what it means and what is required in the decision to become a mother. I have the utmost respect for the role of a mother and all that it entails which is why I’ve made the decision not to have children. Given the massive responsibility motherhood is and my clarity in not wanting to have biological children, I am thankful to have had the choice, financial means, and access to get a medically-safe abortion. I am one in four.” - Jill Veglahn, Head of People at BAM

Here are some resources that back our policies: 

THE IMPORTANCE OF MATERNITY LEAVE

• Researchers conservatively estimate that providing 12 weeks of job-protected, paid leave, in the United States, would result in nearly 600 fewer infant and post-neonatal deaths per year.
• The US is the only country among 41 countries that do not offer any paid leave for new parents.
• Research shows that mothers fare better when they have paid time off after giving birth, including a 51% decrease in the risk of rehospitalization.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PATERNITY LEAVE

• When men take leave, their partners also benefit. Following a Swedish policy reform that increased fathers’ ability to stay home, mothers had fewer physical health complications and were less likely to take prescription medications for anxiety.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE

• One in five American women have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term.
• In the United States, about 40% of women of reproductive age—25 million women in total—have limited or no access to assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinics.
• Nearly one in four women in the United States (23.7%) will have an abortion by age 45
• According to the WHO, unsafe abortion is a leading – but preventable – cause of maternal deaths and morbidities. It can lead to physical and mental health complications and social and financial burdens for women, communities, and health systems.

We recognize that providing choice is the most proactive and purposeful way we can support our BAMfs' health and well-being. It's a priority for BAM to offer our team fair and safe access to healthcare coverage, regardless of where they live.

Interested in joining our team? Click here to see our open positions.