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Starbucks Praised For Offering IVF Coverage To Its Employees

And that includes part-time employees, too.

There's already a multitude of benefits for employees who work at Starbucks, including getting help with college tuition fees, but now the coffee chain has given people another reason to work there. According to CBS News, the coffee chain offers coverage for employees struggling with infertility and are choosing to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Starbucks covers US$20,000 for IVF and any related medication for both its full-time and part-time employees. The perk is so good that one woman actually joined the company specifically to reap its benefits.

Barista Shannon Iagulli and her husband Nic have been trying to have a baby for the past four years. "You think barista, you think 18-year-old working to go through school, not a 27-year-old woman trying to have a baby," Iagulli told CBS News.

Despite this, Iagulli was able to have two children thanks to Starbucks' coverage of IVF treatments.

Forbes reports that each cycle of IVF costs roughly US$12,000 in the U.S., but that doesn't include the cost of any additional fertility drugs that may be needed. In Canada, the cost of IVF is similar, but ranges between CDN$7,000 and CDN$12,000, which, again, does not include cost of additional medication.

Starbucks opens a new store in Krakow, Poland on 8 April, 2017. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Starbucks opens a new store in Krakow, Poland on 8 April, 2017. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

While US$12,000 for IVF might seem like a small number in comparison to the US$20,000 coverage Starbucks is offering, it's important to note that the success rate of IVF varies depending on a couple's fertility problem and age, BabyCenter Canada reports. That means not every round will be successful and costs can add up.

However, the large amount of coverage does offer couples a greater chance of starting a family. And considering that infertility is more common than people think, affecting one in eight in the U.S., this Starbucks perk is certainly a good one.

On Twitter, many are praising the coffee brand for offering this benefit to its employees.

Starbucks isn't the only big company to offer fertility benefits to its employees. Spotify, for instance, covers costs for fertility assistance and egg freezing, while Facebook offers adoption and surrogacy assistance, as well as "baby cash" to help with costs of a newborn.

In Canada, infertility is even more common than in the U.S., affecting one in six couples. In an email to HuffPost Canada, a Starbucks Canada spokesperson confirmed that while the company's benefits vary in each country, the coffee chain does offer fertility benefits to its Canadian employees who work a minimum of 20 hours per week.

"We do have fertility treatment and drugs as part of our coverage at Starbucks Canada," the spokesperson said. "This is in addition to a robust health and dental benefits plan that also includes our $5,000 a year mental health benefit for psychology and social worker services, for all eligible partners and their dependents."

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