I'm at WE Because of Inclusive Benefits. Here's Why.

In 2022, for the fourth year in a row, WE earned a 100-point score in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index (HRC CEI), a measurement of how equitably large private businesses in the U.S. treat LGBTQ employees. Here, we share Jade Cook's and Michelle Micor's stories of belonging at WE.

If one year ago you had told me I’d be starting a new job during the pandemic, getting engaged and planning a wedding, I would have said you’re crazy.

Yet here I am, seven months in, engaged to my wonderful partner of six years and loving every single minute.

I don’t know how others go about vetting a new job opportunity, but for me it’s always been about three things: the work, the pay and the benefits, for not only me but my partner and future family. As someone who grew up in a large family, having a child of my own has always been important to me, but as someone in a same-sex relationship I knew there were going to be challenges.

The biggest being the cost of it all, not just the financials that go into supporting a child but the finances that go into being able to conceive. As my partner and I grew more serious in our relationship the idea of having a family transitioned from idea to reality. I remember the two of us on a whim scrolling through sperm donors and being blown away by the cost. Looking back, I remember feeling bitter and angry that although some can have a family by “traditional” means, I wasn’t able to. I didn’t think it was fair that because of who I am and who I love the dream of having a family became even harder.

So as my career progressed, so did my eagerness to work for companies that could help and understood the importance of catering benefits to everyone regardless of their sexual orientation. Enter WE Communications. Don’t get me wrong, the job itself was appealing and made me excited, but at the time I was working for a company and team that I loved. And starting a new job during the pandemic seemed kind of crazy to me but after more research I stumbled across a blog written by my now colleague, mentor and friend Anjelica Sloan — and that is what sold me.

Although WE had already taken steps to provide fertility coverage, it took it one step further by including the coverage of specimens, both egg and sperm, for those looking to start or continuing to grow their families. Why? To quote our HR partner, “We just need our employees to inform us of what their needs are.”

It’s very rare to find a company that truly believes and delivers an inclusive workplace but also reflecting that inclusivity in its benefits program. Which is why WE Communications is now celebrating its fourth year designated as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equality Index. It’s a celebration not only for our people but for our leaders who have made it a priority to get us here all because we spoke up and they listened.

While I’m still basking in the glow of being newly engaged and planning a wedding, knowing that I have a supportive team behind me at WE makes my and my fiancée’s dream of having a family that much more a reality.