Companies have now turned to maximizing employee benefits to ensure long term tenure with the company and minimizing or zeroing out a high turn-over rate. A Utah company took a new approach for its female employees by offering their pregnant female employees a $2,000 stipend to shop for Maternity clothes.
Talk about a fashionable and useful future for mothers, Fortune reports. It should come to no surprise that even expectant mothers would need a change in wardrobe - everyday. Domo, an American computer software company based in American Fork, Utah offered one of their employees a shopping stipend. Erica Bartsch, who is expecting her second child soon will now have a new set of maternity clothes. She doesn't have to wear the same thing everyday!
When Domo's CEO Josh James realized how female professionals must have difficulty with concerns on clothes for themselves and their upcoming baby, he connected with the company's HR Vice President, Cathy Donahoe and told her this is one benefit he wants to add in employee privileges.
In addition to the paid maternity leave of one month and a six-week leave with 66% pay covered by short-term disability, Domo provides a $1,000 baby bonus for new parents. Domo's expectant mothers will receive gift cards worth $2,000 from Nordstrom, A Pea In The Pod, and Asos. That's going to be a check on fashionable-choice-of-wardrobe list. And we shouldn't leave out the dads, they get two weeks off with full pay.
It's still a young company right now and may be unable to offer unlimited leave compared to other big companies, but the wardrobe add-on is a sweet deal for new parents.
Why did Domo consider this as a benefit? Domo's demographic includes young and modern professionals. Style and function matters most to their 600 employees.
You know what they say, a little blush on or a clean shirt can do wonders for over-all morale. Erica Bartsch definitely agrees that having a new wardrobe boosts her confidence. If you add that to the lifestyle equation, that increases productivity in the workplace because employees would not have to worry about spending extra money to buy new clothes in order to feel good. That extra money could go to other expenses instead - the nursery, medical bills, educational investment, you name it.
This is definitely a good step when it comes to financial planning.
