Methodology · Care Score v1.1.0

How we score companies for care infrastructure.

The Care Score is a 0-100 number built from 16 signals across five categories. Every signal is weighted and tied to public benefits evidence. Profile labels distinguish reviewed evidence from automated extraction or employer supplied information. The methodology is intentionally legible so employers, candidates, and journalists can challenge and reproduce it.

Updated when verified. When a verified company benefit changes, the formula is run again and the Care Score may increase or decrease. Scores reflect the evidence available at the time of the latest review and are not a guarantee of current benefits.

pts · 23%

Reproductive & women's health

pts · 42%

Family & care

pts · 21%

Equity & transparency

pts · 10%

Health & wellbeing

pts · 4%

Growth

Maximum raw score is 100. We normalise to a 0-100 Care Score so it stays comparable across audit revisions.

23 pts · 23% of score

Reproductive & women's health

Care infrastructure for fertility, menopause, and menstruation. Often the most-omitted category in standard benefits scoring, which is why it earns the highest weight per signal.

IVF coverage

Full credit when IVF treatment is covered by the company health plan.

9pts

Broader fertility support

Egg freezing, hormone treatment, or fertility-clinic stipend beyond IVF.

6pts

Menopause support

Menopause-friendly accreditation, or a stated policy and resources.

5pts

Period / menstrual leave

Documented paid leave for menstrual health, separate from sick days.

3pts

42 pts · 42% of score

Family & care

Parental leave, childcare, caregiver leave, adoption, and structured paths back into work after a break.

Maternity leave (weeks paid)

Tiered: 26+ wks → 12 pts, 16+ → 9 pts, 12+ → 6 pts, any paid → 3 pts.

12pts

Paternity leave (weeks paid)

Tiered: 16+ wks → 8 pts, 8+ → 6 pts, 4+ → 4 pts, any paid → 2 pts.

8pts

Childcare / creche

On-site childcare or formal childcare subsidy.

7pts

Caregiver leave

Paid leave for caring for a family member, separate from sick or vacation.

5pts

Adoption support

Documented financial support for adoption (€/$ amount or % reimbursement).

5pts

Return-to-work program

Formal returnship for re-entering professionals (Path Forward, iRelaunch, internal program).

5pts

21 pts · 21% of score

Equity & transparency

What gets measured gets respected. Pay transparency, audited gender pay gap, and women in senior leadership.

Women in leadership

Tiered by % at VP+: 50%+ → 8 pts, 40%+ → 6 pts, 30%+ → 4 pts, any reported → 2 pts.

8pts

Equal pay audited

Publishes an audited gender pay-gap report (annual or biennial).

7pts

Pay transparency

Publishes salary bands publicly (job postings or handbook). Aligned with the EU Pay Transparency Directive (June 2026).

6pts

10 pts · 10% of score

Health & wellbeing

Comprehensive health coverage and mental health support beyond the legal minimum.

Health insurance

Comprehensive health plan including women's health and mental health.

5pts

Mental health budget

Therapy or coaching stipend, or an EAP+ that goes beyond a basic helpline.

5pts

4 pts · 4% of score

Growth

Investment in continuous learning. Lower weight because L&D is broadly available; included for completeness.

Learning / L&D budget

Annual learning budget, tuition reimbursement, or conference allowance.

4pts

Score tiers

What the labels next to each company mean.

90+

Gold Tier

Best-in-class care infrastructure across nearly every signal. Rare.

75-89

Rising Star

Strong on parental leave plus at least three other categories.

60-74

Listed

Above the bar that gets a company onto the directory in the first place.

< 60

Not listed

Below the floor (60). Not surfaced in the directory to keep signal-to-noise high.

Sourcing

Check the evidence behind each signal.

Benefits documentation

Official benefit handbooks, careers pages, or HR-published policies.

Public commitments

Pay-equity reports, signed commitments (Menopause Workplace Pledge, EU pay transparency).

Verified claims

Legacy reported figures may contribute to a score. A claim is marked confirmed only when its source, location, employment scope and verification date are recorded.

Review dates

Each documented claim shows when its source was checked. We do not promise a fixed review schedule; missing scope or evidence remains unknown.

We do not estimate. If we can't find a public source, the signal scores zero, even if we believe the company offers it. This keeps the score honest at the cost of being slightly conservative.

Think we got your score wrong?

Claim your profile and share your benefits documentation for review. Commercial profile status is separate from policy evidence; a paid plan does not confirm a benefit.

Claim & re-audit Send corrections