Some context: the conversation was with a good contact at Deutsche Bank in New York. She is a relatively new mother. Your reporter is a new father. Amid the congratulations, the conversation quickly turned to breastfeeding. Euromoney wondered how the contact was breastfeeding given that she was at work. The answer was simple. Deutsche Bank has a lactation room on the 34th floor of its 60 Wall Street headquarters, where mothers can express their milk.
And it seems that Deutsche is not the only bank that has such a facility. Citi, for example, provides employees with a maternity buddy system, helping women through their pregnancies and on their return. Credit Suisse in the US allows eligible employees to take up to 20 weeks of leave upon the birth of a child. In addition, its medical plan offers fertility coverage including artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilization and fertility treatment.
Given the recent bad press that some investment banks have received about sexual equality issues, it’s good to see them doing something positive.