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Tech giants to freeze eggs for their female employees | Tech giants to freeze eggs for their female employees |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Women working for Facebook and Apple are being offered an additional perk: they can have their eggs frozen. | Women working for Facebook and Apple are being offered an additional perk: they can have their eggs frozen. |
Facebook has been offering the service for its employees in the US since the start of this year. | Facebook has been offering the service for its employees in the US since the start of this year. |
The policy is designed to attract and keep top female talent, by helping them avoid having to choose between motherhood and professional progression. | The policy is designed to attract and keep top female talent, by helping them avoid having to choose between motherhood and professional progression. |
Apple will follow suit from January 2015. | |
"We continue to expand our benefits for women, with a new extended maternity leave policy, along with cryopreservation and egg storage as part of our extensive support for infertility treatment," Apple said in a statement. | "We continue to expand our benefits for women, with a new extended maternity leave policy, along with cryopreservation and egg storage as part of our extensive support for infertility treatment," Apple said in a statement. |
Both companies are offering up to $20,000 (£12,500) for US employees covered by their insurance plans, to finance the procedure to extract the eggs and for their storage. | Both companies are offering up to $20,000 (£12,500) for US employees covered by their insurance plans, to finance the procedure to extract the eggs and for their storage. |
"We want to empower women at Apple to do the best work of their lives as they care for loved ones and raise their families," Apple's statement said. | "We want to empower women at Apple to do the best work of their lives as they care for loved ones and raise their families," Apple's statement said. |
'More control' | 'More control' |
The competition for recruiting talented staff in Silicon Valley is fierce and the policy may help technology giants attract and retain the best candidates. | The competition for recruiting talented staff in Silicon Valley is fierce and the policy may help technology giants attract and retain the best candidates. |
There has also been growing pressure on firms to increase diversity in the male-dominated sector. | There has also been growing pressure on firms to increase diversity in the male-dominated sector. |
Jennifer Tye, head of marketing for Glow, a technology company offering women services to control their reproductive health, welcomed the new policies. | Jennifer Tye, head of marketing for Glow, a technology company offering women services to control their reproductive health, welcomed the new policies. |
"Egg freezing gives women more control," she said. | "Egg freezing gives women more control," she said. |
"When I turned 30, I had this notion that my biological clock was ticking, but I didn't know what my options were. | "When I turned 30, I had this notion that my biological clock was ticking, but I didn't know what my options were. |
"These employers should be commended." | "These employers should be commended." |
However other commentators suggested the companies should instead focus on offering more flexibility and support for new parents. | However other commentators suggested the companies should instead focus on offering more flexibility and support for new parents. |