Big news for working parents: 2024 is shaping up to be a year of stronger, more inclusive parental benefits! According to a 2024 report by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 40% of employers now offer paid parental leave, up from 17% in 2016. In addition to that, approximately 33% of U.S. employers offer paid leave for adoption. This shift reflects changing employee expectations and the growing recognition that paid leave is essential for attracting and retaining top talent. And these enhanced leave policies are just the tip of the iceberg. Many companies on our list are going above and beyond with additional perks like on-site or backup childcare, flexible work schedules, and fertility benefits—all designed to help employees balance their personal and professional lives with ease.
The 2024 VIBE Awards are here to celebrate these forward-thinking companies, spotlighting the businesses that offer the most robust employee benefits programs. VIBE, which stands for "Voted In By Employees," uses a unique methodology that combines proprietary data from our partners and real employee feedback, asking workers to rank the strength of their company’s perks. We recognize top companies in seven key categories, including parental benefits, office life and perks, and professional development, across businesses of all sizes.
Keep reading to see which companies are leading the charge in parental benefits and setting new standards for work-life balance in 2024.
Small Companies
GameChanger
Who they are: This technology company is a top sports app that delivers live video streaming, scorekeeping, and team communication tools to youth sports teams across the nation.
What employees are saying: “Parental leave here is the best I have seen in ten years in this space. Prioritizing families doesn't stop with the customers we serve; it is baked into our culture.”
Canuck Place Children’s Hospice
Who they are: An internationally recognized pediatric palliative care provider that takes an all-encompassing approach to caring for children with complex medical challenges.
What employees are saying: “Canuck Place implemented grandparent leave so you can take a paid week off to look after your child when they become a parent. They recognized that milestone and the importance of supporting extended family. It felt very inclusive.”
Mast-Jägermeister US
Who they are: MJUS is a leading spirits brand deeply committed to core company values and rich heritage.
What employees are saying: “MJUS has the best parental leave policy I have ever seen, providing 20 weeks of fully paid maternity leave. Not only that, but the help and support I feel daily from my co-workers while preparing for leave makes has allowed me such peace of mind. You can tell this company truly cares about work-life balance and is a family first organization.”
HomeTap
Who they are: Hometap is a financial technology company on a mission to make homeownership more accessible and less stressful.
What employees are saying: “I had a baby while at Hometap and they were great about facilitating my maternity leave, ensuring I was paid appropriately. My time was protected, and I knew that my team had things covered so that I could focus on my new addition. The team was so supportive as I transitioned back, and genuinely care about one another.”
Small Girls PR
Who they are: They are a creatively driven press influencer and events marketing agency in New York City and Los Angeles.
What employees are saying: “[Parents are] given a free Snoo rental to help with sleep deprivation, a paid reimmersion period, a paid Dry Run Day to practice their office commute, we have a partnership with Milk Stork, and backup care reimbursement if needed. I know my co-workers feel extremely supported, and I know if I ever choose to have children, I would feel supported as well.”
Health-E Commerce
Who they are: They are a health-tech company who believes in untangling and simplifying the health and wellness benefits marketplace through consumer-directed healthcare, corporate wellness, and Medicare Advantage users.
What employees are saying: “Our company pays 100% of an employee's salary for 12 weeks which reduces the stress of becoming a parent. Being fully remote as well as flexible schedule options allows working parents to balance getting their job done with caring for their new child.”
Upside
Who they are: Upside is a retail technology company that provides purchasing power to consumers and incremental profit to businesses.
What employees are saying: “I am not a parent, so haven't taken advantage of our parental leave, but we do have a partnership with Carrot Fertility and I have strongly considered leveraging that and freezing my eggs. I don't think I would have the luxury of even having that choice at most companies.”
Medium & Large Companies
Trupanion
Who they are: Trupanion is an innovative insurance provider that helps cats & dogs across the world receive the best medical care.
What employees are saying: “Trupanion provided in-office daycare for my kids until they were 5 years old and has allowed my schedule to change and be flexible now that they are in school. As my kids school schedules changed, my work hours were changed to reflect this.”
Opendoor
Who they are: Opendoor is on a mission to empower everyone with the freedom to move by building a simple, certain and fast home buying and selling experience.
What employees are saying: “I am able to be a professional but also an engaged parent thanks to our flexible policy—I would have missed out on so much without it!”
Arcadia
Who they are: We enable organizations to advance global health outcomes by harnessing and actioning the data that drives strategic growth and financial success.
What employees are saying: “The variety of benefits made available to all employees who are parents are very impressive.”
Cornerstone OnDemand
Who they are: Cornerstone started with a simple (but bold) idea—to improve access to education on a global basis through online learning.
What employees are saying: “Asides from Cornerstone’s Parents & Caregivers CRG (Cornerstar Resource Group), we have a culture that celebrates parents and welcomes them to feel comfortable to bring themselves to work.”
“Benefits packages are great for working parents. Additional benefits offerings available to new parents or those who want to become parents.”
Pariveda
Who they are: Pariveda is a consulting firm dedicated to solving complex business, brand, and technology problems from the inside out.
What employees are saying: “Pariveda supported my transition to 75% time after I had my second child. I was able to maintain my same role, hourly salary, and benefits while making the critical transition to being a mom of 2!”
Diageo
Who they are: Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands across spirits and beer.
What employees are saying: “The parental leave allowed me to be fully present with our newborn, and to truly treasure each moment of watching her grow. Words can’t capture how important it was to witness her first smiles and bond with her through each developmental milestone. Diageo’s commitment to employee well-being didn’t just help me through one of the toughest chapters of my life—it gave me the chance to form an irreplaceable connection with my baby. For that, I’ll always be profoundly grateful.”
Mastercard
Who they are: They are a global technology company in the payments industry, working toward making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible.
What employees are saying: “Mastercard pays for childcare and early education and also offers unmatched parental leave. I chose to work at Mastercard for these benefits to assist with family planning.”
Ansys
Who they are: Ansys is the global leader in engineering simulation. We energize, inspire and partner with the world’s top innovators to design products.
What employees are saying: “I was thrilled to find out that Ansys offers Carrot benefits, and I was able to use these benefits to hire a postpartum overnight doula to help me and my family within the first 6 weeks after my baby was born. Ansys reimbursed up to $10,000. I felt incredibly grateful to have this benefit as I know many companies don't offer this type of support.”
Autodesk
Who they are: Autodesk is a global leader in software for designers, engineers, builders, and creators, endeavoring to empower customers with the technology to create the world around us.
What employees are saying: “Autodesk provides access to Parentaly and and Cleo, services that support parents with career coaching, support in preparing for parental leave, mental health support, financial planning, and more.”
Biogen
Who they are: A leading biotechnology company that pioneers innovative science to deliver new medicines to transform patient’s lives and to create value for shareholders and our communities.
What employees are saying: “My fiance and I were able to utilize Biogen's generous reproductive health benefits to support our IVF journey in our effort to become parents. Our benefits covered many things our clinic said are usually not provided by most policies, including genetic testing of our embryos. We are incredibly grateful for this support as we know many friends and family members who have not been able to pursue IVF due to the cost, or who have taken on significant financial burdens in order to do so. We cannot express how lucky we are to have Biogen's support in this journey.”
RWE Clean Energy
Who they are: RWE Clean Energy is a trusted partner for electricity generation, building storage systems and energy trading.
What employees are saying: “I've been already able to use 2/3 of the allocated days of my backup care benefit through Bright Horizons including a last-minute caretaker to watch my sick child, a babysitter to cover days when my daycare center was closed, and time at a daycare center in a location where I had to travel on business.”
DTCC
Who they are: DTCC stands at the center of global trading activity, processing over 100 million financial transactions every day, and maintaining multiple data and operating centers worldwide.
What employees are saying: “DTCC is dedicated to providing a work life balance and also great benefits to working parents.”
H&M
Who they are: H&M is a global fashion brand offering elevated products for clothing, shoes, sports, beauty, and home.
What employees are saying: “As a result of our amazing parental leave and vacation package benefits, I was afforded the ability to stay at home with my daughter for her first 8 months.”
Aptiv
Who they are: A global technology company that develops safer, greener and more connected solutions, which enable the future of mobility.
What employees are saying: “Aptiv made it easy and stress-free when it came to offering benefits after a life-changing event. It allowed my family and I to utilize the benefits that we're lucky Aptiv provides. From health, parental leave, infertility support, and dependent care—Aptiv has really tried to offer the best of the best!”
Palo Alto Networks
Who they are: Palo Alto Networks provides robust, innovative protection against cyberattacks.
What employees are saying: “The flex benefits allow us to get reimbursed for camps and other enrichment activities for our kids.”