Two of the biggest tech companies in the world have stepped forward to offer their female employees the option of freezing their eggs. Apple and Facebook now plan to pay for the expensive treatment, ideally allowing them to retain the best talent in their workforce by allowing female employees to consider starting families later in life. The initiative will see the companies pay for the procedure at an initial cost of up to $20,000 per treatment, and an additional $500 each year to keep the eggs frozen. The move has been met with mixed reactions, with some commentators praising the action as an example of promoting gender equality, while other groups are warning women that the freezing of eggs does not guarantee a future family and could risk female staff missing out on the chance to have children. The announcement comes in stark contrast to the comments made by Microsoft’s chief executive Satya Nadella last week in which he claimed female staff should rely on ‘karma’ rather than ask for pay rises or promotions to proceed in the workplace. Guidelines stress that women should talk to doctors about their chances of conceiving through the procedure before opting to have their eggs frozen. The two forward-thinking companies have both said they hope the benefit will not only help them retain talented women for a longer period, but also promote gender equality throughout their workforces. The announcement comes following controversial comments from Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella, who was forced to apologise to company workers for his suggestion that it’s “good karma” for women not to ask for a pay raise and instead “trust the system” to eventually reward their work.