More than a Career: How Salesforce Supports the Journey to (and through) Parenthood for AEs, SEs, and Every Professional Path

Some of life’s biggest moments don’t come with a manual. The first positive pregnancy test. The phone call that a match has been found. The night before you bring your baby home for the first time. These are the moments that change everything — and they don’t pause for work.

At Salesforce, we’ve spent years asking a simple question: what do our people actually need? Not just as employees, but as humans navigating one of the most tender, terrifying, and transformative seasons of life. The answer has shaped the benefits we’ve built, and kept building, over time, because we believe that showing up for your family and showing up for your career should never be a trade-off.

Here’s how we try to make that real.

Removing Hurdles on the Path to Parenthood

The road to becoming a parent isn’t always straight. For many, it’s marked by waiting rooms, paperwork, hard conversations, and costs that can feel overwhelming before a single milestone has even been reached. We don’t think financial barriers should stand between you and your family.

Through long-standing partnerships with Carrot and Progyny, we’ve built a support system designed to meet you wherever you are on that journey — regardless of your path, your background, or where in the world you live.

• Financial support that goes the distance: Employees and their spouse or domestic partner are eligible for up to $40,000 USD in reimbursement for surrogacy or adoption expenses. If both partners work at Salesforce, each can receive this benefit.
• Expert guidance, not just coverage: U.S. employees have access to Progyny’s Smart Cycles — three covered cycles for egg freezing or frozen embryo transfer, with unlimited support from dedicated fertility advocates and access to the largest network of fertility specialists in the country.
• Care that crosses borders: With Carrot, employees around the globe receive personalized fertility care in their own language, currency, and cultural context — because this benefit was built to include everyone.

“As a non-birthing parent in a same-sex couple, knowing I have legal rights for my daughter is a small comfort,” one employee shared. “Understanding the fees were paid for made it easy to simply welcome her into the world.”

Protecting The “First” Milestones

There is no Slack message or deadline more important than those first weeks at home. And yet, for so many new parents, the pressure to return — to respond, to perform, to prove they’re still in it — can overshadow the very moments they’ll carry with them forever.

We’ve made a deliberate choice to protect that time. Fully. 

• Fully paid leave: In the U.S., primary caregivers receive 26 weeks of paid time off; secondary caregivers receive 12 weeks at 100% of base salary, or 80% of on-target earnings, whichever is greater.
• A soft landing back: Our Gradual Return to Work Program eases the transition with four days a week for four consecutive weeks, so you can find your footing without feeling thrown in the deep end.

Building Your Village

Modern parenthood can feel isolating — especially when the family or community you imagined leaning on isn’t nearby. We’ve spent years building a network of support that travels with you, wherever life takes you.

• Maternity doula reimbursement: For employees in the U.S. and Canada, we reimburse up to $2,000 USD per pregnancy for doula services  because feeling held during birth and the postpartum period matters, and it shouldn’t be a luxury.
• Coaching for every stage: Through Cleo, employees working 20+ hours a week get unlimited access to expert guidance and community, whether you’re navigating a newborn, a stubborn toddler, a moody teenager, or caring for an aging parent.
• Support for nursing parents on the road: Through our partnership with Milk Stork, traveling employees can ship breast milk home safely and free of charge within the U.S. because being away for work shouldn’t mean giving up on feeding your child.

“Having a birth and postpartum doula allowed me to take the time to focus on my little one and provided so much relief for my husband. We were able to have the birth we hoped for, while also feeling nurtured and loved postpartum when we didn’t have family nearby.” – Maria, Territory Account Executive, California

“I had four large boxes of frozen milk to bring home while caring for my sick parents. I easily packaged everything up, and my milk arrived home safe. I was able to maintain nursing for months — I would have lost all of it without this benefit.” – Christine, Portfolio Director, San Francisco

“Cleo has been huge for our family — helping both my children sleep through the night, with potty training, communication, and learning suggestions tailored to each of them.” – Stephen, Senior Success Architect, London

Support for the “Expected Unexpected”

Even the most prepared parent knows: things go sideways. The childcare falls through. The anxiety spikes at 2 a.m. The postpartum fog rolls in thicker than you expected. These aren’t edge cases — they’re the reality of raising a family, and they deserve real support.

• When care plans fall through: U.S. and Canadian employees get up to 15 days of back-up care per year through Bright Horizons — center-based or in-home — for the moments life doesn’t warn you about.
• Mental health that goes beyond a hotline: Through Lyra Health, employees and their eligible dependents each get up to 12 free in-person or virtual counseling sessions per year. And through BetterUp, employees have access to free, unlimited wellbeing coaching whenever they need it.

“Backup care is one of the best benefits. We use it every year. It takes the stress out of unexpected moments.” – Salesforce employee

“The parental benefits at Salesforce gave my family the gift of time, choice, and support. Compared to my previous pregnancies — where I had to save up vacation days just to survive — this experience was completely different. I felt cared for in a way that every new parent deserves.” – Tequila, Solution Architect, Houston