New referral program enables evidence-based parental leave policy and practice support for customers

Standard Insurance Company (The Standard) announced a new partnership with the Center for Parental Leave Leadership to help organizations enhance their parental leave support for working parents, managers and teams before, during and following leave.

According to recent parental leave research conducted by The Standard and the Center for Parental Leave Leadership, most companies acknowledged that they fall short in supporting expecting/new parents as well as managers and employees who are covering an employee’s parental leave:

• 55% rate themselves as average or below average on supporting mothers
• 66% rate themselves as average or below average on supporting fathers
• 67% rate themselves as average or below average on supporting people managers vs. industry standards

To illustrate, one employer shared, “I feel like our company falls short in supporting fathers who want to take all 10 of their weeks plus state-sponsored leave. There is a norm that fathers take less time than mothers and are almost looked down upon for wanting to be on leave.”

For more than a decade, the Center for Parental Leave Leadership has been the only full-service consultancy in the U.S. focused exclusively on parental leave. The organization’s evidence-based approach transforms how employers of all sizes engage with parental leave and drive organizational change. Through a comprehensive suite of services, clients of the Center for Parental Leave Leadership gain a competitive edge beyond paperwork and compliance, enabling parental leave programming to positively shape the employee experience.

“Parental leave can be complicated both administratively and culturally, especially for diverse and multi-state employers. Even with a paid leave policy in place, employers may still be challenged with employee recruiting and retention, burnout and cultural issues,” said Amy Criswell, market segment director for Absence Management and Disability at The Standard. “We believe this new relationship is a natural extension of the absence management services we already provide, and we look forward to building tools and resources together.”

Through this relationship, customers of The Standard can contract directly with the Center for Parental Leave Leadership to take advantage of the following services:

• Expert consultation and research initiatives to:
  • Enhance existing parental leave policies and practices
  • Develop new best-in-class standards
  • Create clarity regarding the complex matrix of legal, funding, talent and cultural considerations
  • Consolidate information related to parental leave into actionable insights
• Innovative parental leave programming including coaching, training and certification designed to drive behavioral and cultural change for individuals and teams that lead to increased communication, knowledge sharing, leadership development, sense of being valued and using existing benefits
• Evidence-based approach that offers employers a holistic solution to solving pain points regarding parental leave policy and practice

Services provided by the Center for Parental Leave Leadership would require separate premium payments or additional fees.

“Our work is not just about improving life for our working parents but also improving profits for our companies,” said Amy Beacom, Ed.D., founder of the Center for Parental Leave Leadership. “Employers who want to attract and retain millennial, female and other diverse talent or grow their leadership pipeline should offer gender-neutral paid leave and wrap-around support to all employees throughout the three-phase parental leave transition. Additionally, when men and other non-birthing parents can be equal caregivers at home, it levels the playing field at work. We are excited to partner with The Standard on this important work to help customers improve outcomes for their working parents, managers, HR staff and teams.”

Parental leave research

The Standard, in partnership with the Center for Parental Leave Leadership, worked with a third-party research firm to conduct a mixed-methods survey in March 2024. The 85 respondents were people familiar with and involved in parental leave at their company and somewhat or very involved in the decision-making about parental leave offerings/policies at their company.

About The Standard

The Standard is a family of companies dedicated to helping customers achieve financial well-being and peace of mind. In business since 1906, we are a leading provider of financial protection products and services for employers and individuals. Our products include group and individual disability insurance, group life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, group dental and group vision insurance, voluntary and supplemental benefits, absence management and paid family leave services, retirement plans products and services and individual annuities. For more information about The Standard, visit www.standard.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

The Standard is the marketing name for StanCorp Financial Group, Inc., and its subsidiaries: Standard Insurance Company, The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York, Standard Retirement Services, StanCorp Mortgage Investors, StanCorp Investment Advisers, StanCorp Real Estate, StanCorp Equities, Anthem Life Insurance Company, Anthem Life & Disability Insurance Company and Greater Georgia Life Insurance Company.

About the Center for Parental Leave Leadership

Founded in 2014, the Center for Parental Leave Leadership is the only full-service consulting and coaching company devoted exclusively to helping our nation’s employers and employees improve their parental leave policies and practices. Founded on the shoulders of more than four decades of paid leave advocates and trailblazers, the organization is dedicated to improving the lived experience of all working parents and their managers, teams and employers.

It is by supporting working parents that companies gain strength; and it is by being supported that working parents develop into their best selves, which they then bring back into their companies and their families. The company’s approach is research-based and experience driven, relying on concrete numbers, valid insights and measurable outcomes to help assess where organizations are on the parental leave leadership spectrum and give them the tools necessary to improve. For more information, visit www.cplleadership.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.

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