Sept. 18, 2025

This piece is sponsored by MarketBeat.

For many new moms, planning for maternity leave can start with more uncertainty than support.

How long can we afford for me to be home?

When do the bills start to hurt?

Can I really ask for more time?

In South Dakota, where there’s no state-mandated paid family leave, those questions often don’t come with easy answers. Most private employers provide little or no paid time off, and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act only guarantees up to 12 weeks of unpaid job-protected leave. For many households, unpaid time away from work simply isn’t feasible.

MarketBeat, a Sioux Falls-based financial media company, has built a family-first policy that goes far beyond the minimum. It offers new parents time, flexibility and peace of mind during one of life’s biggest transitions.

“At MarketBeat, we recognize that supporting our team members through major life milestones — like welcoming a child — strengthens not only our people but also our company. Our parental leave policy reflects our belief that when employees feel valued and supported at home, they can bring their best selves to work,” said Arin Gonseth, vice president of finance.

MarketBeat employee Laycee Kluin and her newborn daughter

But Gonseth notes that having an employee out on extended leave can be especially challenging for small businesses, and MarketBeat’s policy reflects a commitment to balancing those realities while still supporting employees.

“The key to making it work is planning ahead and the incredible teamwork across MarketBeat, which ensures that when someone takes eight or more weeks away, both the employee and the company can be successful. At its heart, the goal is to provide time, flexibility and the reassurance that our workplace is behind them every step of the way,” Gonseth said.

The company’s parental leave policy provides birth mothers with up to 15 weeks away from work. This time is structured to include eight weeks at full pay, followed by four weeks at 50 percent pay and three additional weeks of unpaid leave.

To support a smoother transition back into the workplace, MarketBeat also offers a Ramp Back Program during the 50 percent pay period. Through this program, parents can adjust their schedules with reduced or flexible hours. For example, an employee may choose to work up to 20 hours a week to reach full pay, use PTO to supplement fewer hours or take the remaining time unpaid. This puts the pace of transition back to full time in the parent’s hands.

“From a leadership perspective, this is an investment in long-term retention, engagement and overall company culture. It’s about showing our employees that their families matter as much as their careers and that MarketBeat is a place where both can thrive,” Gonseth said.

Digital marketing strategist Laycee Kluin was the first MarketBeat employee to use the policy when she and her husband welcomed their daughter into the world in September 2024. Kluin was grateful to be able to spend 15 weeks at home before returning back to the office.

Kluin with her husband and daughter

“MarketBeat’s generous policy gave me the space to heal and the peace to simply be present,” she said. “I could care for myself and my baby without guilt or pressure.”

While the policy gave her the time she needed, Kluin said the support from co-workers also made a large impact. Her team stayed in touch just enough to make her feel included if she wanted but always respected her time away.

Kluin and her daughter visited MarketBeat’s Halloween lunch gathering.

And when her daughter got sick shortly after starting child care, the flexibility continued.

“She got COVID just a few weeks in, and MarketBeat was so understanding,” Kluin said. “They let me take care of what mattered without questioning it.”

That support extended beyond leave itself. When MarketBeat designed its new office, the team included a private mother’s room with a fridge, sink and a dedicated workspace, something Kluin said made her transition back to work much smoother.

MarketBeat’s private mother’s room

“I really appreciated the mother’s room,” Kluin said. “I’d heard plenty of stories about women who had to pump in cars or closets, so knowing MarketBeat had planned for working mothers ahead of time meant a lot.”

Before Kluin went on leave, her team even threw her a baby shower, something that made her feel truly cared for, she said.

Kluin and co-workers at her office baby shower

“The support was consistent through everything,” she said. “I felt valued as a mom and as a professional, not one more than the other.”

Kluin’s experience is one example of how the policy works in practice, but it was written with many different family situations in mind.

Spouses and partners are eligible for four weeks of leave. Two weeks are taken together at full pay, while the other two can be used later in one-week increments at half-pay. That structure gives families both shared time at home and flexibility for when they need it most.

Adoptive parents also have dedicated support. Depending on the child’s age, they can take up to six weeks of paid leave. Parents even can use a portion of that time before the adoption is finalized to manage placement and waiting periods.

MarketBeat’s policy also acknowledges that sometimes parental leave is necessary for some of life’s hardest seasons.

In the event of a pregnancy loss at 24 weeks or later, employees receive up to six weeks of fully paid leave, with the option to return part time or full time when they are ready. Earlier losses are supported through the company’s bereavement policy.

“As someone who has personally experienced pregnancy loss, I know how profoundly it affects every part of life. That’s why I am most proud of our parental leave and bereavement policies that recognize these moments of grief and provide space for healing,” Gonseth said.

“Too often, loss is overlooked in the workplace, yet it’s in our hardest seasons that support matters most. By acknowledging pregnancy loss, we are saying to our team: Your pain is real, your healing matters, and you are not alone. For me, this is one of the clearest examples of leadership living out our values.”

MarketBeat’s parental leave is more than a benefit — it’s a reflection of the company culture. And as MarketBeat continues to grow, so does its commitment to the people behind it.

Curious about joining the MarketBeat team? Visit marketbeat.com/careers to learn more about open roles.