How Goldman Sachs Supports Parents Starting or Growing Families

04 FEB 2019

Whether it be searching for quality childcare, pumping breast milk away from home, or navigating the challenges that come along with the transition back to work after leave, parenting and work can sometimes feel at odds.  That’s why Goldman Sachs’ benefits and wellness offerings aim to make the balancing act a little easier. 

As of February 2019, all managers and leaders at the firm will complete the training, “Great Expectations: Building Blocks for Managing Parenting Related Leaves,” which focuses on how to effectively manage and support team members before, during and after their parental leave. This online training guides managers through preparing for a team member’s time out of the office and how to facilitate their transition back to work. It also emphasizes the importance of keeping lines of communication open at all phases of an individual’s leave, being flexible as new parents transition back into working, and not making assumptions about how co-workers may be feeling about their workload.     

“Having or adopting a baby is an incredibly exciting and life-altering change, and it’s extremely important that our people understand the firm – and their managers – support them throughout the process,” said Laura Young, global head of wellness. “As such, we continuously look to provide our people with programs and services to support them in navigating the day-to-day issues that arise while empowering them with the tools to be successful at home and at work.”

The manager training program is just one aspect of our firm’s commitment to working parents. We recently implemented a service for breastfeeding moms through LifeCare’s Milkship program that provides a free full-service program for moms to safely ship their breast milk home when traveling overnight for business. Additionally, we offer time off following the birth or adoption of a child, support for the transition back to work (e.g., lactation rooms, return to work coaching), access to best practices around parenting, and expert guidance should a critical medical situation arise.