Maternity Bonus: Startup Gives Pregnant Employees $2,000 Towards Shopping Spree

A Utah-based startup allows expectant mothers a nice maternity bonus towards new clothes to fit their growing bodies. A $2,000 shopping spree is not something workers can expect from many companies in the U.S.

Being pregnant is one of the most exciting time for a woman who longs for a child, but buying a new wardrobe can get pretty expensive, especially if the employee is required to wear more formal clothes for work. Enter Domo, a Utah-based startup that takes very good care of their pregnant employees and offers an extremely generous maternity bonus, according to Fortune.

In a related report from the Inquisitr Domo’s attitude towards pregnant employees comes amid increased pressure on all employers to offer extended maternity leave such as those mothers-to-be in Europe receive. According to the report, the U.S. and Papua New Guinea are the only countries in the world without universal, paid maternity leave.

This particular maternity bonus is not something that most workers can expect and is making headlines because of the Domo’s incredible generosity in taking care of future moms such as Erica Bartsch, who, during her first pregnancy, didn’t have a large wardrobe. Towards the end of her pregnancy, she had two pairs of pants and six tops, which she rotated during the week, but no maternity bonus at her old company.

“Towards the end, I thought, ‘Gosh, I hope people don’t think I’m wearing the same outfit every day.”

In March, Bartsch took a position with Domo as a customer reference manager for the Utah-based business management platform provider startup. Now that she is expecting another baby, she is finding out first-hand what a great maternity bonus her company offers.

Aside from the $2,000 maternity bonus towards a shopping spree for mothers-to-be, Domo offers a paid paternity leave and a $1,000 baby bonus for new parents ($2,000 for twins). While the employees don’t get a separate check from their employer, the startup offers $2,000 worth of gift cards to stores such as Nordstrom, A Pea In the Pod, and Asos — an online retailer — to buy a new wardrobe.

According to Domo’s Vice President of Human Resources, Cathy Donahoe, the maternity bonus was implemented a year ago, when CEO and founder, Josh James’ assistant became pregnant, and he realized how difficult it is for women who are expected to dress a certain way for work.

Donahoe explained, “He said, ‘Hey, this is a benefit that I want to add.'”

The startup’s compensation includes four weeks paid maternity leave and two weeks paid paternity leave, according to the company’s website. Employees love working for Domo according to a poll published on Review Great Places to Work and was highly rated in several categories, including rewards.

Donahoe explains that the $2,000 maternity bonus is issued with the company’s demographics in mind and also considers “what matters to the majority of them.” The average age of Domo employees is 34-years-old, and they have three children per employee on average.

For Bartsch, who is one of about six employees taking advantage of the maternity bonus incentive, the $2,000 gift is “life changing.”

“Pregnancy is an awkward time for your body. You’re doing this wonderful and amazing thing while going through so many changes…the image of what you have in your head is not reflected in the mirror. The benefit made me confident about what I was putting on.”

Thanks to Domo’s maternity bonus, a financially stressful time for expectant mothers is made a little less difficult. Not only do future moms have to worry about buying everything for a new baby, but the have to make sure they are presentable during important business meetings, and this startup eases the burden for them.

[Image via Shutterstock]