When Rebecca Petty learned that she and her husband were expecting their first child, feelings of excitement were accompanied by a flurry of questions. What did their benefits cover? How much did daycare cost? How many days of parental leave could they take?
Rebecca was met with unwavering support from her Cox colleagues and felt peace of mind with Cox’s parental benefits. Her son Walker is now six months old, and her family is still experiencing the perks of being a new mom while working at Cox.
“I have the flexibility and support to step away from work and devote my time to my son at any given moment — and for that I am forever grateful,” she said.
From family-planning benefits and paid parental leave to back-up childcare and work flexibility, Cox is committed to empowering working parents at work and at home.
Here’s a closer look at the benefits and perks that support Cox employees and their families.
Family planning benefits
Thinking about growing your family? Cox employees have a few options when it comes to becoming parents, including:
- Fertility treatment coverage through Progyny, including IVF, sperm and egg freezing, egg donation and more — whether you’re doing it on your own or with your partner.
- Adoption assistance to help you cover costs associated with a domestic or international adoption process. This benefit can also be used to legally adopt family members or stepchildren, including multiple children in one year.
“My wife and I just had a child a year and a half ago, and Cox was very supportive through the whole IVF process.”
Paid parental leave
Welcoming a new child is a precious time for any parent — and you need time to be fully present and bond as a family. That’s why all full-time employees who’ve been at the company for at least six months receive generous parental leave following the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child. This leave can be taken all out once or spread out in one-week increments throughout the first 12 months with your new child.
“It’s definitely a generous benefit compared to what we’ve seen in the industry,” Chauntriss Herring, a senior benefits manager at Cox. “It relates to the way that Cox cares for the whole family and providing this time to actually bond with a new family member.”
Moms going through pregnancy and childbirth also receive at least eight weeks of paid short-term disability leave in addition to paid parental leave.
“Whether it’s a natural birth or a cesarean, they’re going to be approved for 8 weeks to begin with,” Chauntriss explained. “And then if there are any postpartum complications, it could potentially be extended beyond that.”
“The benefits Cox offers for new parents took a huge weight off my shoulders. I felt at ease leading up to the birth of my son and when he was born, I was able to focus wholeheartedly on my new family.”
Benefits for nursing mothers
New moms enrolled in the Cox medical plan can receive a free breast pump and accessories after the birth of a child, as well as six free in-person or virtual lactation consultations after childbirth.
Cox also provides access to Milk Stork, a service that handles breastmilk shipping logistics to help nursing moms (including employees and their spouse or domestic partner) who are traveling for business.
“You can easily travel and have the peace of mind of having the milk stored appropriately,” explained Maureen Clark, a senior benefits manager at Cox. “People are very appreciative of it; we’ve heard great things.”
Caregiving resources
“It takes a village...” as the saying goes. Here are some of the important resources available to Cox employees and their families:
- Teladoc’s virtual doctor visits for non-emergency conditions, including general medical concerns, dermatology and mental health.
- Brightline, a virtual mental health resource for kids and teens.
- Dependent Care FSA where employees can put aside up to $5,000 pre-tax per year for childcare services.
- Care.com’s database of vetted care providers and subsidized back-up care options for children, elderly family members — even pets!
- 24/7 support services through Resources for Living for childcare and parenting, education and special needs.
- Coverage for applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy treatment for Cox medical plan members of any age with an autism spectrum diagnosis or development delay. Cox medical plan members can also connect with an autism advocate to find the right provider.
- A flexible work environment and flexible PTO to prioritize work-life balance and self-care.
- A free subscription to the Calm meditation and sleep app. “They have kid-focused content, whether its sleep stories by the minions, dealing with different emotions or teaching kids about mindfulness and meditation,” said Mary Groover, lifestyle benefits manager at Cox. “I know it’s particularly helpful with my daughter at least to get her sleep; I use it all the time.”
- The Jim Kennedy Scholarship Fund, created and personally funded by Cox Enterprises chairman emeritus Jim Kennedy, is available to 15 high school seniors whose parent has worked at Cox full-time for at least three years. The scholarship provides $10,000 annually toward the cost of tuition for up to four years if students maintain eligibility requirements for renewal.
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