Does your company have a Fertility Policy?

Your boss may be the last person you want to tell about your fertility problems and this can be a challenge for employers, both operationally and financially, comments Helen Turner HR Manager at fertility clinic Bourn Hall.

Helen previously held management positions at John Lewis and brings her corporate and training and development experience to her new role at the clinic.

She says: “One in six people have difficulties conceiving, and all are of working age. Infertility impacts both partners and can create devastating effects on all areas of their lives.

“Additionally, some types of work can evoke emotional triggers. We see patients in professions such as teaching, midwifery, and the police where they work closely with children, often in distressing situations – and their managers have no knowledge of their personal trauma.

“We know it is not uncommon for staff to end up reducing their hours or quitting their job if they are unable to balance work and fertility issues”

However, their employers are largely unaware of this stress or how to help them.

Supportive workplace good for business

In a recent survey of fertility patients conducted by Fertifa and Fertility Network UK (2023), 75% of those interviewed said their productivity at work was strongly impacted by fertility challenges, and more than a third (37%) said that they received very little or no support from their employer. Nearly eight out of ten (78%) people, said that fertility support or a fertility policy was very important when they were considering a new job or employer.

So, a supportive workplace is good for business as well as for employees.

Helen continues: “Flexibility to attend appointments and promoting greater understanding of what fertility treatment involves are two practical ways in which a fertility policy can help employers provide a more supportive working environment and retain staff.

“If employers and managers are aware of what fertility treatments involve and what the outcomes can look like, they can better understand the associated stress and can create safe spaces for staff to talk in confidence.”

Elements of a Fertility Policy

• Paid leave to attend fertility treatment or to support a partner going through treatment – this enables openness from the employee and benefits the employer as they are then able to plan.
• Clear, consistent process for applying for leave – currently it is a ‘manager lottery’ even if leave is permitted.
• Confirmation that the ‘protected period’ starts from the point of embryo transfer. The individual is assumed to be pregnant and subject to maternity rights, also to bereavement if the pregnancy is lost at an early stage through miscarriage.
• Workplace adjustments may be required during treatment – for example sensitivity if the job involves babies and children, or a quiet place to take phone calls.
• Confidentiality – fertility is deeply personal, and the line manager may be the first person outside immediate family to be told about this medical condition. So, care should be taken to prevent personal information being accessed.
• Access to support – signposting to the advice and support offered by Fertility Network UK and other groups. Also, inclusion of fertility within Employee Assistance Programmes and mental health provision.