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Fathers Encourage Each Other During IVF Process

As part of our commitment to Engagement, Diversity, and Inclusion, and the wellbeing of our employees, Astellas offers a comprehensive parental benefits package, assisting Astellas families in their journeys to parenthood, regardless of how they choose to grow their families. One of the many ways Astellas supports parents is through robust in-vitro fertilization (IVF) benefits that provide coverage and support throughout the IVF journey, which can be complicated, time-consuming, and emotional.

“The IVF process is long and difficult, and the comprehensiveness of these benefits gave me and my wife peace of mind,” shared Steven Edwards, Senior Professional Representative, Community Specialties. “This process is so all-encompassing. There’s a lot of paperwork and expenses, and it is a relief to know our Astellas benefits will support us throughout the whole process.”

“I am thankful to be a part of an organization that values their people to consistently evaluate their benefit offering to employees, and when able, enhance those offerings in areas where families often struggle to find resources,” shared James Cheatham, Senior Regional Sales Manager, Community Specialties.

James and Steven both have experience with IVF – James and his family used Astellas’ IVF benefits to conceive their first child, while Steven and his family are using Astellas’ IVF benefits to conceive their second child. James is Steven’s former manager and has been with Astellas for 14 years and had trained Steven from the start of his 9-year career with Astellas. Thanks to their time working together, James and Steven had become friends outside of work, and have been able to support each other throughout their respective IVF journeys.

“The unwritten benefit for me is that James, as my former manager and friend, has allowed me to feel comfortable throughout the process. There’s a lot of appointments, a lot of time off, and it’s a long process, so having the right mentor really helped,” shared Steven.

“At Astellas, these benefits are indicative of the community here to care and support each other,” shared James. “We are encouraged to build strong connections and this has provided me the opportunity to bond with other dads who are embarking on the same journey.”

In addition to the extensive IVF benefits, James and Steven both highlighted Astellas’ parental leave policies as another work-life benefit they’ve taken advantage of.

“When we had our son, I took the full parental leave which, at the time, was just four weeks,” shared James. “This recently increased to eight weeks and is once again proof that Astellas continuously evaluates if they are giving people the time and resources needed for a positive work-life balance.”

While James and Steven have not yet added a second child to their families, they are already starting to cement their Father’s Day traditions. As a father of a four-year-old, Steven has already logged three Father’s Day barbeques, and is looking forward to making his son the grillmaster one day.

James, whose child just hit the 6-month mark, shared “I am excited to develop those traditions.”

Astellas is proud to offer gender-neutral benefits specific to working parents and has prioritized flexibility to meet the unique needs of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits programs offer employees flexibility in how they do their work and robust benefits to support employees and their families. We are constantly reviewing our total rewards package to ensure our employees receive valuable and highly competitive benefits and reward opportunities. To learn more about opportunities at Astellas, visit our careers site.

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