Written by Rita Peacock
Dearbump is a startup which was launched as the UK’s first well-being scheme for expectant employees in a bid to support workers and save talent.
The award-winning wellness brand has created a unique programme targeted towards pregnant employees. The aim of the programme is to help expectant mothers by supporting them through pregnancy and their return to work. This involves answering questions, giving advice and information, emotional support, gift deliveries, well-being checks and more. It is also pregnancy subscription box delivering monthly bundles of products designed for your stage of pregnancy.
Dearbump was founded in 2017 after CEO Emma Jarvis became a mother. Faced with a concerning lack of information and pregnancy products, she took matters into her own hands by creating a brand that would help support and guide women through pregnancy.
The idea for the corporate scheme came as a result of Emma’s own maternity experience. Over the 12 month period, she had no contact from her employer, no prospects of career development and no support on her return to work. The CEO had always been ambitious and passionate about her work, but managers no longer valued her once she became a mother. Emma knew this attitude was not unique, and thus wanted to revolutionize the world of work with a programme that would empower women and support mothers. The Liverpool startup is looking for investment from crowdfunding to support this much-needed scheme and deliver it to businesses nationwide.
Statistics show that a corporate programme like this is long overdue. Women make up 46% of the workforce in the UK and an estimated 80-85% of those will become pregnant during their employment. Despite this, 90% of mothers returning to work after pregnancy reported that they had no formal support programme and one in three find it difficult or very difficult to come back after maternity leave. At present, £1.65 billion is spent in the UK on replacement costs per year. Recruiting and retraining staff presents a significant loss for businesses not only in terms of talent but also in time and costs.
CEO Emma Jarvis explains: “Studies have shown that the lack of support and a poorly managed reintegration back into the workplace are responsible for women feeling unhappy at work or leaving their job altogether. Despite these shocking numbers, there are currently no programmes in place to combat this and no official guidance for employers or employees to ensure a smooth transition for working mothers. Dearbump’s goal is to tackle this gap in the market to help employees feel happier at work, saving employers billions of pounds in replacement costs in the process.”
Dearbump is LIVE on Seeder
Dearbump’s crowdfunding campaign is now live. So whether you’re a business keen to take care of your employees or a working mother desperate to see change, you can be part of their mission to empower women, support mothers and save talent. See details here.
For further details on the programme and subscription visit Dearbump website or their social media at the following;