Facebook and Apple are now paying the cost for their female employees to freeze their eggs.

Facebook was the first to cover the cost for oocyte cryopreservation, or egg freezing, a procedure that is not typically covered for non-medical reasons. Apple is expected to begin their coverage in January 2015.

The companies will give employees up to $20,000 to help them pay for the cost. Facebook will offer the coverage under its surrogacy benefit, and Apple under its fertility benefit. It costs $10,000 for every round of eggs that are frozen. Women then pay an additional $500 annually for storage. Women are recommended to freeze at least 20 eggs, which means at least two rounds.

Egg freezing is the process where a woman's eggs are extracted and stored, so that they can be implanted into her uterus at the time she chooses in the future to become pregnant. The process allows women to wait later in life to have children, making it possible to get pregnant during a time she may already be infertile.

"Having a high-powered career and children is still a very hard thing to do," says Brigitte Adams, an egg-freezing advocate and founder of the patient forum Eggsurance.com.

According to a 2013 study conducted by NYU, 19 percent of women reported that they would consider having a baby earlier if their job was more flexible.

Facebook and Apple are paying their female employees to freeze their eggs to support women who choose to focus on their careers first, without sacrificing a future family. If more women choose to stay longer at the company before having children, the companies will be able to reduce recruitment and hiring costs.

Women also benefit since they will be avoiding high costs for donor eggs or other fertility treatments in the future. And while some people are lauding this policy as the "great equalizer" for women in tech, the policy also sends out a disturbing subliminal message. Facebook and Apple are sending out the message that they want their female employees to have babies later and are encouraging them to put their personal lives on hold for their professional lives. But what about those women who want to have babies now? 

Supporting women who want to focus on their careers first, without sacrificing a potential future family is a step in the right direction. But these tech companies also need to actively analyze their work culture to see how they can support women who want to focus on their careers and families at the same time. 

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