A new Boston Consulting Group report makes the case that organizations that offer paid family leave see higher retention rates, better results from employee recruitment, and improved morale—especially since relatively few employers offer the benefit at this time.

What does the furniture retailer IKEA have in common with the U.S. Department of Defense?

If you answered “similar taste in decor,” you’re wrong, unless IKEA recently started offering its Kivik couches with a camo print. But if you guessed that they both offer their employees paid family leave, you’re on the right track.

A new Boston Consulting Group report [PDF] on the subject of paid leave calls out the two employers for offering the benefit, which tends to be uncommon in some industries. The BCG report, written from the perspective that paid family leave is unlikely to become federal law anytime soon, instead makes the case that the added cost pays for itself in other ways.

“Though the benefits can be hard to measure, companies report that the payoff from offering paid family leave exceeds the costs,” the report states. “And companies report that they are able to manage the cost of their programs through thoughtful design.”

Click here to view the key points from the report

If you’re the head of HR, or in charge of benefits at your company, the topic of paid family leave has probably come up in the past few years. There’s not only a national conversation around the topic, but many employers have been making announcements of improved paid leave policies over the past few years.

While Fairygodboss research higher shows that levels of female job satisfactioncorrelate with longer paid maternity leaves taken, the business case for enhanced parental leave still is not necessarily apparent for some employers. That’s why I loved seeing a new research report published earlier this month by Boston Consulting Group, which found 5 reasons paid family leave can deliver “significant rewards that outweigh the costs”

View the full Forbes article

In this TEDx, Anna Steffeney, recognized thought leader, talks about Why the U.S. Needs Paid Parental Leave.

With a background in international corporate leadership in finance and technology, Anna is a passionate entrepreneur who is now the CEO and Founder of LeaveLogic. She focuses on improving the experience and lives for working families.

After the birth of her two children—one born in Europe, the second born in the United States—the glaring difference in parental leave policies prompted her to launch LeaveLogic. Their mission is to help normalize leave in the workplace. LeaveLogic revolutionizes how employees and companies manage the family leave process. Their solutions empower employees to confidentially navigate and plan the best leave scenario for their unique situation, while saving companies time, money and effort.

Click here to view the clip.