Almost six years ago, Kirstyn Fox was about to make a very important life decision. She was actively exploring new career options and wanted to find a workplace that checked off all her boxes. Kirstyn knew that starting a family was something that she’s always wanted—benefits, work/life balance and a family-friendly culture were at the top her list when it came to finding her new workplace. Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) checked all those boxes and Kirstyn found her perfect match, but it wasn’t until her orientation day when Kirstyn realized the decision she just made. “During my orientation they brought in the benefits team to go over all the benefits BCBSND offers its employees,” Kirstyn says. “I knew BCBSND had good benefits for their employees, but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of benefits available.”
Coming from her previous job with no benefits, Kirstyn was excited to start at Blue and knew she made the right decision.
The start of her family
Last year, Kirstyn found out she was about to start a family. She was pregnant with her son, Onyx, and excited to share the wonderful news. She also wanted to prepare for her maternity leave and learn more about benefits available for new moms. Kirstyn turned to her supervisor for some advice and information on what’s available to her. She knew BCBSND offered maternity leave but admits that she did not know of any of the amenities offered to moms in the building. “My team lead informed me of all the resources available to new moms,” Kirstyn says. “He gave me a lot of advice and made sure that I felt supported.”
BCBSND offers a convenient, sanitary and private lactation room for moms to use whenever they need. Kirstyn says that having a private lactation room at BCBSND helped her decision in deciding to breastfeed. “I was unsure if I wanted to breastfeed but knowing that I’d have a place to go whenever I needed to, made the decision a lot easier,” Kirstyn says. “The lactation room is very clean, quiet and comfortable. There’s a fridge in there that we can use to store all of our stuff.”
A team of support
Kirstyn had a smooth experience before, during and after her maternity leave. She couldn’t believe how flexible and helpful her supervisor and team were with her schedule. “I can use the lactation room whenever I need to,” Kirstyn says. “BCBSND is so flexible with my schedule and I can talk to my supervisor about anything that comes up. It’s just nice to know you have that support.”
Kirstyn hopes that sharing her experience will help other new moms who might not know about BCBSND’s infant friendly benefits. “It’s important information to know, and I hope my story can help other moms feel comfortable using the infant friendly benefits, too.” Not only do these benefits show how BCBSND cares about you as an individual, but it also shows how much they care about your family, too.”
