By Michael Wood, Managing Director, Education & Workforce
The Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC) strongly believes in the importance of family-friendly workplaces. In partnership with PNC Bank, the DRC was proud to launch The Best Place for Working Parents® Dallas, a local partner of The Best Place for Working Parents® national initiative, in 2021. The initiative, now in its second year in Dallas, recognizes and promotes family-friendly workplaces through a proprietary business self-assessment that compares an employer’s policies and benefits to other companies of similar size and industry.
In this ongoing series, the DRC will feature companies from the Dallas Region whose support for working parents goes above and beyond the 10 policies recommended by the program.
PMG, a global independent digital company, views its investments in family-friendly policies as part of its core value to always change for the better.
“Some companies look at creating a family-friendly culture as a lot of effort and one that involves additional operating expense,” said Stacey Martin, PMG’s Chief People Officer. “The reality is that it is an investment, similar to how you invest in technology that enables employees to do better.”
Driving PMG’s efforts to improve their benefits for working parents is research from before the COVID-19 pandemic that suggested that just 18% of women felt confident about their return to work following maternity leave. In response, PMG has made a point to bolster its family-friendly support as the company has grown.
“Too many companies — particularly in advertising — make it difficult for parents, especially new ones, to participate fully in their family lives while also growing their careers,” said Martin. “Our workplace is one where parents thrive.”
For employees expecting a child, including those adopting or fostering, PMG offers a minimum of eight weeks of fully paid parental leave. Mothers can leverage a short-term disability benefit to receive up to 16 weeks off.
During that time off, PMG shuts off email and Slack access to ensure new parent employees focus on their family and not work. New mothers may also come back to the office gradually rather than returning to a full work schedule as soon as their parental leave ends.
PMG continues to offer support for parents following the birth of their child. For example, PMG subsidizes a Care.com membership for employees with dependent or elder care needs to provide options when a last-minute need for back-up care arises.
During COVID-19, PMG also offered financial assistance to working parents to help cover costs related to virtual schooling and child care. As the need for pandemic aid diminished, PMG repurposed that investment to provide a lifestyle spending account for all employees. The account — which receives a monthly contribution from PMG — can be used on a wide range of eligible expenses, from child care and educational programs to home renovations and gym memberships.
Other offerings include telecommute capabilities for all staff, employee resource groups, and fertility benefits for employees trying to get pregnant.
For its broad investment, PMG has seen a tangible impact on workplace culture.
“Our culture is what makes us unique and creating one where all are welcomed and encouraged to live a full life, both inside and outside our four walls, is a non-negotiable for PMG,” said Martin. “We don’t view this through a lens of expense, instead we purposefully choose to invest in our culture, to include finding unique and meaningful benefits for our working families.”
Learn more about Best Place for Working Parents® Dallas and complete the business self-assessment by visiting the DRC website. The self-assessment can be completed in under 3 minutes and immediately notifies employers if they are eligible to receive the designation by comparing their family-friendly policies to those of similarly sized companies in the region.