“For the longest time, I had misgivings about whether I would ever be able to start the family I dreamed of,” Christine Lê Louie, Employee Engagement & Events Manager at Salesforce said recently. “The barriers to access for non-nuclear families felt overwhelming and unreachable.”
In today’s workplace, comprehensive parental benefits remain a rarity for LGBTQ+ individuals. The lack of inclusive policies and support can create significant challenges for those who wish to start a family. However, employers can play an important role in supporting new parents, particularly in regions where family care leave isn’t guaranteed.
This isn’t just for altruistic purposes – research shows that organizations that prioritize comprehensive parental benefits can enhance productivity and foster employee loyalty. In other words, supporting employee wellbeing can positively impact a company’s bottom line.
A missing piece of the puzzle
Lê Louie joined Tableau in 2014 as an events coordinator and supported Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Pride employee initiatives to help create more inclusion within the company. While she achieved milestones in her career and had the opportunity to advocate for something she was passionate about, Lê Louie felt she was missing something: She longed to start a family with her wife.
But knowing the steep costs and barriers to access for non-nuclear families, Lê Louie wasn’t sure if she would be able to make her lifelong dream a reality.
New beginnings
In 2019, when Tableau was acquired, Lê Louie joined Salesforce’s global communications team, and came across an internal company blog site for employees to learn about activities and people within the company. One post, written by her colleague Jeffrey Huang, described his non-nuclear journey to parenthood and how Salesforce provided comprehensive benefits to help him and his husband bring their son into the world.
Motivated by Huang’s story, Lê Louie and her wife explored their options within Salesforce. They searched the company’s Concierge system, an internal searchable knowledge base, to gather information about available benefits. There they discovered Progyny, a comprehensive fertility and family-building benefits provider, and Salesforce’s robust parental benefits.
In 2021, with information and resources at the ready, the couple made the pivotal decision to start their path to parenthood using the fertility benefits available to them – from personalized fertility treatments to expert medical guidance – which resulted in a successful pregnancy. The couple’s joy and gratitude were immeasurable as they welcomed their long-awaited son, Jackson, into the world.
Providing inclusive support
“Welcoming our son Jackson has been an indescribable joy,” said Lê Louie. “It’s a dream come true, and I am forever grateful to Salesforce for making it possible. Without comprehensive parental benefits, I doubt that I’d be a parent. Salesforce not only helped fulfill a lifelong dream, but also demonstrated that it recognizes and supports families like mine.”
It’s a dream come true, and I am forever grateful to Salesforce for making it possible
Christine Lê Louie, Employee Engagement Events Manager, Salesforce
According to Abby Hollingsworth, Vice President of Global Employee Benefits at Salesforce, the company is dedicated to creating an inclusive work environment that supports every path to parenthood. With a focus on family care, Salesforce offers extensive benefits including paid parental leave, adoption and surrogacy assistance, and fertility support. These policies foster employee loyalty and wellbeing, resulting in a more engaged and productive workforce.
“As a parent myself, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of comprehensive parental benefits. They are not just a perk, but a fundamental necessity for supporting and empowering all paths to parenthood,” said Hollingsworth. “The availability of the benefits that Salesforce provides ensures all parents, regardless of their background or family structure, have the opportunity to thrive.”
As a parent myself, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative impact of comprehensive parental benefits. They are not just a perk, but a fundamental necessity for supporting and empowering all paths to parenthood.
Abby Hollingsworth, Vice President of Global Employee Benefits, Salesforce
Learn more:
- Learn more about Salesforce employees and parental benefits here
- Read about how Abby Hollingsworth was promoted while on parental leave
