Understanding the impact of fertility challenges and why fertility benefits are important

Written in association with Parallel Partner Fertifa

Fertility and family-forming challenges can have an enormous impact on an individual, especially in the absence of workplace support. Fertility Network UK research, conducted in partnership with Fertifa revealed 90% of people who have been affected by infertility say it caused them feelings of anxiety or depression and 78% of people undergoing fertility treatment felt withdrawn from society. Fertility challenges can impact every part of an individual’s life, including their performance at work. 60% of people undergoing fertility treatment take unexplained absences and 50% have decreased job satisfaction.  

With 1 in 7 heterosexual couples experiencing infertility worldwide, nearly all LGBTQ+ people needing support to start their family, and an increasing number of people looking to preserve their fertility through egg freezing, workplace support is more important than ever. 

Most private medical insurance providers don’t cover fertility diagnostics or treatment, but over the last few years, we have seen an increase in companies recognising the importance of providing support for fertility challenges, and other areas of reproductive health too. At Fertifa, we are lucky to work with incredible companies that are giving their employees access to best-in-class support for these challenges. 

In this article, we’ll outline the impact an organisation can expect to see from implementing fertility and family-forming benefits and how to build a supportive environment for employees going through these challenges. 

Driving talent attraction and retention  

The previously mentioned research conducted by Fertility Network UK and Fertifa showed that a lack of fertility support can have a significant impact on employee retention; 38% of people going through fertility treatment consider quitting their jobs. With an average cost of £30k to replace an employee, implementing the right support for your workforce will have a positive impact on your bottom line.  

Research by Bloomberg has also shown jobs citing fertility benefits increased by 700% from March 2022-2023. Fertility benefits are becoming vital for any employer wanting to offer a competitive benefits package to attract the best talent out there. They are no longer a ‘nice-to-have’, but a necessity. 

Improving the Gender Diversity Gap 

Offering fertility benefits are a great way to improve gender diversity in senior leadership teams too. In fact, 71% of employers say they see fertility benefits as a way of enhancing their DEI efforts. More women leave their jobs when going through fertility treatment, or are more likely to take a leave of absence, stalling their career and contributing to the Gender Pay Gap. Offering workplace fertility support signals to your employees it’s okay to want a family and can offer essential support thought pivotal health challenges, which could be the difference between a female employee staying or leaving.  

Increasing productivity and engagement 

Health challenges will inevitably take a toll on an individual’s mental wellbeing, and this will unsurprisingly impact productivity and engagement at work. 3 out of 4 people say their productivity at work is strongly impacted by fertility challenges, so being proactive in offering support will have a positive outcome for both your employees and your business.  

“For most people, if they’re going through fertility or family-forming challenges, this is all they’re thinking about all day, every day” – Dr Gidon Lieberman, Medical Director at Fertifa 

Helping with sickness and absenteeism 

1 in 5 people who have gone through fertility treatment ended up quitting their job, often due to difficulties managing treatment cycles and their responsibilities at work. By offering flexibility, time off, and support through this stage of life you are more likely to retain your best people by illustrating to your employees that you want to proactively support them in the workplace, no matter what they are going through. 

As a result of these challenges, creating a workplace culture where employees can access meaningful support and speak openly about fertility, or other reproductive health challenges, is more important than ever. 

How to build a supportive working environment for people experiencing fertility challenges  

A strong fertility benefit package is about more than just providing financial support for things like IVF and fertility preservation.  

So, aside from covering health care costs, how can employers offer support?  

• Put a fertility policy in place 

‍Creating a fertility policy is a simple and effective way of showing your employees that you are there to support them through some of life’s most challenging times. At Fertifa, we have in-house experts who can help you draft a bespoke fertility policy for your employees or if you would like to draft your own, download our policy template here to use as a guide. Remember, a fertility policy is not just a tick-box exercise, it needs to be part of a multi-faceted approach to creating a supportive culture. 

• Offer manager and HR training 

‍Running training programmes can be a great way to prepare managers for difficult conversations and show them how to create a safe space for what is often an emotional and unpredictable time. Download Fertifa’s HR handbook on supporting someone through fertility challenges to get started.  

• Reassure employees that receiving fertility treatment will not damage their careers 

‍Fertility issues can put huge amounts of pressure on physical, mental and financial well-being. A survey conducted by Fertility Network UK showed that: 

• 58% of respondents felt concerned that treatment would affect their career prospects 
• 36% felt their career was damaged because of treatment. 

It is crucial for team leads and HR managers to reassure employees who are going through fertility treatment that it will not be detrimental to their careers. Fertility support is about creating a workplace culture that’s fully supportive of any journey to parenthood, for every individual. 

• Ensure everything you offer is inclusive 

‍LGBTQ+ people will likely find the road to family forming especially challenging, and often face additional barriers to becoming parents due to their gender identity or sexual orientation. A survey of LBTQ+ women and non-binary people conducted by Stonewall and DIVA magazine found that 36% of respondents who had children had experienced barriers or challenges when starting their family. Make sure your policies and processes are not adding to these barriers by ensuring they are inclusive of every person, family structure and pathway to parenthood.  

• Try to give your employees paid employment leave 

‍Fertility treatment requires a considerable investment of time, often taking months of appointments, at difficult and inconvenient times. We still see employees using their annual leave to attend appointments, so offering employees paid time off for fertility treatment is a great way to demonstrate emotional and financial support, as well as tackling unexplained absenteeism. Download the Fertifa fertility and family forming policy template to get an idea of how much time off to offer employees who are going through fertility treatment.  

• Clinical support 

Giving employees access to clinically-led and medical support for fertility treatment, through a company like Fertifa, is hugely impactful in supporting people through their fertility treatment, with very real outcomes. You can find out more about how this works here. 

Get in touch if you want to find out more about implementing fertility support in your organisation 💜 click here

Thank you Fertifa