NASBA Center For Public Trust 
If you were checking out any of the CPT or StudentCPT social media pages last spring, you will recall a high amount of posts and reminders about our Ethics In Action Video Competition. Students from across the country were encouraged to submit a video illustrating how ethics are important in business.
Our team was blown away with the videos and content. One video, in particular, stood out to me. It’s titled The Motherhood Penalty and the video illustrates the timeline of a young woman who graduates, lands her first job, gets married and then … are you ready for it … has a baby!
From this video, I learned that the Motherhood Penalty (also known as the pregnancy penalty) is real, so real. In fact, mothers are 79% less likely to get hired by employers and even less likely to be promoted.
After doing a little more research on mothers in the workplace, I learned that the United States (U.S.) is one of only four industrialized nations in the world that fails to guarantee the right to a paid maternity leave.
Bringing a baby into the world is a beautiful thing, and despite U.S. companies not having to provide maternity/paternity leave, there are companies giving new moms and dads some financial help so they can celebrate their new addition(s). Check out the list below:
Netflix
Netflix offers unlimited, paid leave for one year for birthed or adopted children. Parents have the option to come back to work part time, full time or leave and return as needed.
In 2007, Google increased their original 12 weeks of maternity leave to 18 weeks. “Google kids” are given priority placement in Bright Horizon Child Care Centers across the United States and are given $500 per child in “baby bonding bucks.”
Johnson & Johnson
New mothers are given 17 weeks of paid maternity leave at Johnson & Johnson. They didn’t forget about dads, either! New fathers are granted 9 weeks of leave.
At Facebook, both mothers and fathers are given 17 weeks of paid leave. Also, new parents are given $4,000 per child in baby cash. That should cover your diaper budget for the first year, right?
Goldman Sachs
Their offices are equipped with lactation rooms and they offer around the clock lactation consultants for new moms. New mothers are given 16 weeks of paid leave and fathers are given four weeks.
Bank of America
Adoption reimbursements up to $8,000 per child are available for BOA employees. Parents are given $240 each month to put towards child care costs. If you and your spouse are sick or decide to take a vacation, BOA will cover the day cost of a childcare center.
Women in traditional child bearing years are in a crucial time in their careers. For some women, this poses a question of, “Can I even afford a child?” There are significant financial changes when you bring a new life into this world, and it’s time for more companies to support expecting mothers and fathers. Ambitious employees should not be penalized for wanting a family!
— Ashley Metivier
Activities Coordinator, NASBA Center for the Public Trust (CPT)