Boston Scientific: Giving Voice to the LGBTQ+ Community - Seite 2

"I can't imagine not having that time with my daughter"

For Michael, a senior marketing specialist supporting the company's WATCHMAN^TM business and global communications lead for the PRIDE ERG, helping people live healthier, better lives has always been a passion - it's what drew him to Boston Scientific almost five years ago. For him, living life to the fullest meant starting a family with his husband, Matt.

Michael began the adoption process a few months after joining the company, in 2020. "I don't think many people realize how challenging and lengthy the process can be," he says, reflecting on the multi-year experience. "But having support from the company made such a difference for us, from a benefits standpoint and also in the outpouring of encouragement we received from so many across the organization." He recalls a baby shower his colleagues held for him, and what that meant to his growing family.

Michael and Matt finalized the adoption of their daughter, Mila, in 2022. "We were there for Mila's birth, and since it was an open adoption, we remain close with her birth mother," says Michael. He and Matt also had the chance to bond with Mila over the first few months of her life as part of the company's global parental leave benefits. "I can't imagine not having that time with my daughter," Michael says. "Without it, I think it would have been a very different experience."

A pioneer for change

Fifteen years ago, Anna joined Boston Scientific in Sydney, Australia, not long after she married her wife, Yasmin. The wedding took place in Canada, because same-sex marriage was not yet legal in Australia.

Anna came out to her manager during her first week at the company. Since then, she has not been afraid to speak up about who she is or when she's felt a need for change. For instance, when her wife was expecting their first child, there were only two types of leave available at Boston Scientific in Australia: maternity or paternity. "I felt uncomfortable, because I wasn't taking either of these," she says. She approached Human Resources with this concern, which eventually led to changing the name of the policy to "parental leave" for all employees in Australia and New Zealand.