Author: Sarah Brannan
Why is fertility a workplace issue?
With the World Health Organization estimating that one in six people of reproductive age1 experience infertility, and LGBTQ+ employees also potentially needing support in order to form families, this is not a small-scale problem at what is often a key working age for career development.
NHS provision for fertility support is limited and as is often publicised, variable by geography2, resulting in vast differences in NHS support. Private fertility treatment is unarguably costly, averaging £11,950 per cycle3, with costs varying greatly by treatment provider.
Undergoing fertility treatment is a slow, stressful, and often extremely mentally challenging experience, which can also result in significant physical symptoms while undergoing treatment. A 2016 study showed that 6% of employees undergoing fertility treatment left their job due to treatment. For 58%, work affected their treatment (e.g. difficulty in making appointments) and for 85%, treatment affected their work (e.g. it was difficult to concentrate). Half of employees that responded were worried about career prospects, and 35% reported actual career impact4.
The need for support is clear, and with the Employment Rights Bill signalling the government's intention to shift more wellbeing responsibility onto employers, and Labour MP Alice Macdonald recently presenting a Bill in Parliament5 to make paid time off work for fertility treatment a legal requirement, the direction of travel is likewise clear.
What are our options?
It is by no means a foregone conclusion that your approach should be to immediately introduce a new benefit. Having a clear and fair Fertility Policy can do a lot to ensure that employees feel supported — and organisations such as Fertifa6 offer templates as a starting point.
Training is also key — ensure your managers are empowered with the understanding and language to be able to support their team. And you should look into existing benefits to see whether there is any provision available. EAPs can offer mental health support during treatment, and your PMI scheme may offer limited benefit. Some health cash plans also allow fertility diagnostics and consultations to be claimed.
- If you are considering a fertility specific benefit, there are some key considerations.
- What is our budget, and is this the best use of it?
- Is this something that is suitable for, and wanted, by our employee demographic?
- What level of support is appropriate for us to provide as an employer? How entrenched do we want to be in our employees' personal lives?
- Why are we considering fertility benefit and not other elective benefits, e.g. dental cover, childcare benefit, or weight loss support?
- Lifestyle factors such as nutrition, weight, exercise, mental wellbeing, smoking and alcohol, can impact fertility — should our focus instead be on addressing these factors?
