Zee Media Bureau
Johannesburg: In an attempt to narrow the divide between opportunities for male and female employees and fight the gender gap, Facebook and Apple have come up with an unique idea. Reportedly both these companies are making it easier for female employees to delay having kids and focus on their careers instead.
In the first of its kind, these two major tech companies have offered freezing a woman’s eggs as a perk.The said that they have decided to provide coverage to female employees who wish to delay childbearing by freezing their eggs.
The companies have vowed to cover costs up to 20,000 dollars for the procedure and annual storage costs in order to help them delay parenthood. While Facebook recently began covering the costs of egg freezing, Apple is set to follow soon in January.
"Egg freezing gives women more control," said Jennifer Tye, marketing lead for Glow, a mobile application aimed at helping women avoid pregnancy or conceive.
"When I turned 30, I had this notion that my biological clock was ticking, but I didn`t know what my options were," said Tye. "These employers should be commended."
The news comes amidst a raging debate over women pay in the fiercely competitive and male-dominated technology sector after Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella remarked that women employees should not ask for a pay raise but leave it on their "karma" to get their dues.
(With Agency inputs)
