Balch & Bingham Expands Benefits with Addition of Backup Child, Adult and Elder Care Program

Balch & Bingham announced today a new benefit that allows attorneys and employees to access a robust network of backup child, adult and elder care providers to help minimize the challenges of caregiving while at work.

All Balch employees will receive access to a nationwide network of child-care centers and in-home providers through Bright Horizons, a leading provider of child care and backup care for children, adults and elders. Employees may reserve care in a Bright Horizons center or arrange for in-home care for a child, adult or elder relative for those times when normal care arrangements are disrupted. The services may be used up to 10 times a year and employees will pay only a small copay.

“We are committed to helping our entire Balch family thrive both personally and professionally. Our new program to help manage the challenges of balancing caregiving and working is our latest initiative to deliver on that commitment,” said Stan Blanton, managing partner.

Additional benefits include complimentary, unlimited access to an online database of ongoing child and adult care resources, sitters, pet care providers and housekeepers as well as priority waitlist and discounts at select network child-care centers.

“I am proud of our commitment to helping our attorneys and staff manage job demands while raising a family or experiencing other familial obligations such as caring for an aging parent,” said Tara P. Ellis, Jackson office managing partner. “On a personal level, as a single mother of two children, I appreciate that my firm provides a benefit that eases the logistical and financial stress of finding care for my children when traveling out of town for work, attending work commitments in the evening or when schools are closed during the holidays.”

This new benefit complements the firm’s roster of family-friendly resources, including its expanded leave policy for attorneys, which offers parental leave, child-care support and flexible time, all which aim to retain and recruit top legal talent.

“We have spent time listening to the needs of our Balch family. This program is a direct result of that dialogue and their needs. Our goal is to help ease the pressure of providing excellent care for family members when there is a lapse or breakdown in normal routines. We want to make these disruptions a little easier to manage,” said Lisa Arrington, director of human resources.

Balch has been recognized by The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham in its 2018 Clearing the Path Report for its family-friendly policies that are attracting and retaining female employees. The firm has also been recognized among the best places to work by the Birmingham Business Journal and Mississippi Business Journal. Additionally, Balch was named a “Most Admired Company” by the Birmingham Business Journal.