Reimagining workplace wellness: Goldman Sachs & Maven on building best-in-class reproductive health benefits

Women’s and family health benefits have become a foundational part of a modern benefits strategy. This shift is in response to the increasing challenges employees face as they navigate their family-building and menopause journeys. Rising costs, varying access to care, and the challenge of balancing work with care underscore the need for better support. 

Against this backdrop, Goldman Sachs has teamed up with Maven Clinic to expand the company's fertility, family-building, and menopause support offerings. By adding Maven’s personalized virtual care platform and benefits coverage to its ecosystem, Goldman Sachs supports its employees in their reproductive health journeys, helping to alleviate stress and manage costs.    

To better understand the evolving landscape of women’s and family health benefits in the workplace, Goldman Sachs and Maven recently hosted a discussion about some of the most pressing issues facing employees and employers today—and how innovative benefits can support employees in the workplace. 

How Goldman Sachs spearheads better care with Maven

In launching Maven to its employees, Goldman Sachs doubles down on its commitment to supporting employees at work and at home. The firm now provides enhanced Fertility & Family Building and Menopause & Midlife Health support to its U.S. employee base. Goldman Sachs also selected Maven to administer its Pathways to Parenthood program, which provides financial support for adoption, egg retrieval and donation, and surrogacy. 

“I’m thrilled that we’ve launched Maven for our employees and are already seeing great utilization,” says Laura Young, Managing Director and Global Head of Wellness at Goldman Sachs. “Maven helps us improve access to care, provides personalized support to every employee, and gives our people the financial transparency they need along their fertility, adoption, and surrogacy journeys.”

Goldman Sachs employees now have access to evidence-based virtual care tailored to meet their unique needs, including 24/7/365 virtual access to Care Advocates and specialists, an on-demand resource library, and easy-to-use financial coverage. This enhanced support allows employees to take on their family building and menopause journeys with confidence while balancing the demands of their personal and professional lives. 

“We’ve made strides in filling the gaps in the care model for women and families over the past 10 years,” says Kate Ryder, CEO and Founder of Maven Clinic. “We’re thrilled to have Goldman Sachs stepping up and working with Maven to continue to scale this impact while giving their employees the best women’s and family health care.”

The evolving need for fertility and reproductive health benefits

During the panel, the speakers explored the “why” behind women’s and family health benefits and some of the broad challenges employees may encounter during the family building and menopause phases. 

Employees face access and cost challenges

Employees can face barriers in their health journeys in the current landscape of reproductive healthcare. Fertility treatments can be prohibitively expensive, with one round of IVF costing upwards of $23,000, and nearly half of people who have pursued treatment say they paid more than expected, with one-quarter incurring debt to cover their costs. 

Outside of cost concerns, accessible fertility and menopause care can also be difficult to come by. There are fewer reproductive endocrinologists than needed to meet the demand for fertility treatments, a problem that disproportionately affects those living in rural and underserved areas. Those seeking quality menopause care often struggle to find a provider experienced in treating this stage of life, with 80% of OB-GYN residents reporting that they are “barely comfortable” treating menopause. 

“Menopause is something that people have difficulty talking about,” says Young. “Many suffer in silence, but there’s something that can be done about that. As benefits leaders, we have a great opportunity to make these life experiences feel more manageable and less stressful and lonely for our employees.”

Workplaces see negative impacts from a lack of support

When employees struggle with the challenges of fertility and menopause, it often impacts how they show up in the office. Without providing adequate support during these journeys, employers see reduced productivity, higher stress levels, and increased attrition from their employee population. The impact on the workplace is clear:

• 66% of people who have pursued fertility treatment have taken or considered taking a new job because of better reproductive and family health benefits. 
• 40% of women didn’t disclose their fertility treatment to their employer due to concerns about its negative effects on their career prospects.
• Global productivity losses due to menopause top $150 billion per year.
• 29% of millennials and 26% of Gen Xers experiencing perimenopause or menopause say they feel unsupported around managing their symptoms in the workplace.

Fortunately, as Goldman Sachs demonstrates, employers are well-positioned to help employees avoid negative outcomes during their reproductive health journeys. By recognizing the existing gaps in care, employers can design a comprehensive women’s and family health benefits ecosystem that meets the diverse needs of their employees.

Top trends in fertility and menopause care 

Amidst the evolving landscape of women’s and family health benefits, the panelists identified three key trends in the fertility and menopause spaces. 

Shifting to personalized care that addresses diverse needs

Every reproductive health journey is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution to meet the needs of a diverse employee population. Instead, leading companies like Goldman Sachs have been prioritizing benefits that offer personalized support to every individual employee. As an example, every Maven member is assigned a Care Advocate, who designs a customized care plan and connects them with a roster of specialists who can support their unique needs. 

“For those in very vulnerable and complex family journeys, getting the right information at the right time is invaluable,” says Ryder. “We designed Maven to equip employees with the clinical, emotional, and financial support they need to navigate the ups and downs of these experiences.”

Extending mental health support 

A lack of comprehensive fertility and menopause support can have often-overlooked emotional impact. 50% of women rank infertility as the most upsetting experience of their life. Similarly, one-third of women of menopause age report needing mental health care in the past two years. Best-in-class benefits make mental health a core part of reproductive health support, recognizing that emotional wellbeing is just as important as managing physical symptoms. 

“As a society, we’ve finally gotten to the point where we’re having these conversations about the mental impact of fertility care and menopause,” says Kia Swan-Moore, Global Medical Director at Goldman Sachs. “Through Maven and our other mental health resources, we have emotional support for those going through these often-difficult experiences. The providers available to our employees specialize in supporting these areas, so employees can get culturally-sensitive, personalized care when they need it.”

By working with Maven, Goldman Sachs provides employees access to mental health providers that focus on helping those navigating fertility treatments and menopause. This holistic approach to care helps ensure that the full spectrum of needs is being addressed—clinical, emotional, and financial. 

The future of fertility and reproductive health benefits in the workplace

As organizations navigate an evolving healthcare landscape, comprehensive reproductive health support has emerged as a crucial differentiator in employee benefits packages. The collaboration between Goldman Sachs and Maven demonstrates how innovative approaches to women’s and family healthcare can improve employees’ outcomes and positively impact their workplace experience. 

Maven is the leading women's and family healthcare company, providing 24/7 clinical, emotional, and financial support all in one place. To learn more about how you can join leading companies like Goldman Sachs in partnering with Maven, reach out to our team today.