H&R Block Takes Its Culture of Belonging Further with New, Inclusive Benefits

Rhea-AI Summary

H&R Block has announced an expansion of its employee benefits to foster a more inclusive workplace. The new initiatives prioritize mental health and support various life circumstances, aligning with its Block Horizons 2025 strategy. Key enhancements include:

• Expanded mental health services via Lyra.
• Increased paid leave for parents and caregivers.
• $30,000 infertility and adoption support.
• Pregnancy support app.

This initiative aims to attract and retain top talent, solidifying H&R Block's commitment to inclusivity.

Positive

• Enhanced mental health support through Lyra, increasing access to therapists and services.
• Expanded paid leave policies, offering eight weeks for parental leave and four weeks for caregiving.
• Support for infertility, surrogacy, and adoption with a $30,000 benefit.

Negative

• None.

New employee benefits focus on inclusion of several lifestages and life situations

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) today announced an expansion of its values-based culture of belonging with the addition of more inclusive benefits. The new approach provides holistic support to associates, across all lifestages and through an expanded range of life circumstances.

H&R Block’s connected culture focuses on ensuring that employees feel supported through a broader range of life and family situations. The company aims to comprehensively address associates' needs both inside and outside the workplace as an important component of the "future of work."

“We are committed to creating a culture where our associates can bring their authentic selves to work, and our more creative and holisitic approach to benefits is one important piece of that puzzle," said Tiffany Monroe, chief people & culture officer of H&R Block. "As we execute against our Block Horizons 2025 strategy, we believe this approach marks a new frontier for inclusivity, one that will continue to improve our ability to attract and retain top talent."

A Culture of Connected Inclusivity Reflected in Benefits

Highlights of H&R Block's new approach to employee benefits include:

• Expanded mental health benefits: An enhanced mental health support program for regular associates, including greater access to therapists, coaching and holistic mental health services through Lyra, a comprehensive mental health hub.
• At-work and at-home resources to support neurodiverse individuals: Manager training to support neurodiversity in the workplace, support for neurodiverse associates, as well as social and emotional learning resources for parents and caregivers of neurodiverse individuals via Rethink.
• Expanded paid leave for all types of parenting and caregiving: Eight weeks of paid parental leave for any parent, including those adopting, and four weeks of paid caregiver leave to care for a spouse, child or parent with a serious health condition for regular associates.
• Infertility, surrogacy and adoption support: A $30,000 benefit for eligible associates that can be used for fertility treatments, adoption or surrogacy support for any associate and family situation.
• Pregnancy support: An app to support regular associates from conception through baby’s entire first year, delivered by Cleo.
  

Additional Commitments to Inclusivity

• In March 2021, H&R Block received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) 2021 Corporate Equality Index for the second year in a row, earning a spot on their list of “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.”
  
  
• H&R Block is just one of eight companies in Kansas City and 21 in Missouri to receive a 100 percent on the Corporate Equality Index, which is the leading benchmarking tool for measuring U.S.-based companies’ LGBTQ-related corporate policies, practices and benefits.
  
  
• In 2020, H&R Block joined the Catalyst CEO Champions for Change pledge to increase the representation of women, including women of color, among senior leadership and Board of Director positions. Women and people of color now hold more than 50% of the independent H&R Block Board of Director seats, compared to 38.3% on average within the Fortune 500.
  
  
• In September 2020, H&R Block joined the Gender and Diversity KPI Alliance and agreed to consistently collect, manage and report against three key performance indiciators to measure and improve gender and diversity at H&R Block: The percentage of representation on an organization’s board, the percentage of representation by employee category, and the ratio of compensation by employee category (i.e. equal pay for equal work).
  
  
• The company offers a number of associate-led Belonging Groups, which are spaces that foster the culture of belonging and are a place where all associates can cultivate connections.
  

About H&R Block

H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) provides help and inspires confidence in its clients and communities everywhere through global tax preparation, financial products, and small-business solutions. The company blends digital innovation with the human expertise and care of its associates and franchisees as it helps people get the best outcome at tax time and better manage and access their money year-round. Through Block Advisors and Wave, the company helps small-business owners thrive with innovative products like Wave Money, a small-business banking and bookkeeping solution, and the only business bank account to manage bookkeeping automatically. For more information, visit H&R Block News or follow @HRBlockNews on Twitter.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a44f8ae4-e368-4e5a-b173-44796fdd7c25

For Further Information
Investor Relations:		Michaella Gallina, (816) 854-3022, michaella.gallina@hrblock.com
		Jordyn Eskijian, (816) 854-5674, jordyn.eskijian@hrblock.com
Media Relations:		Angela Davied, (816) 854-5798, angela.davied@hrblock.com