Building a fertility policy to support employees at work

Policy is the starting point for any organisation wanting to provide fertility support to their employees. It’s often the first port of call for those needing fertility treatment, providing a clear signal as to whether their workplace recognises and supports this significant life event.

Two colleagues discussing fertility policy at work

With one in six people worldwide facing infertility, all of which are working age, it’s a common, but hidden topic within the workplace. Over two-fifths (43%) of workers who’ve gone through fertility treatment in the last five years have found it difficult to juggle treatment alongside work commitments, according to Totaljobs research, and 92% had to take time off for treatment.

4 in 5 HR leaders say their business has some type of support in place for employees seeking fertility treatment, while only 40% have specific fertility policies in place, demonstrating a clear gap in how the 60% who don’t have a fertility policy at work make clear their intention to provide support.

At Fertility Matters at Work (FMAW), we find that common concerns around disclosure relate to fears about the perceptions of others, an impact on career prospects and potential discrimination, with 61% not comfortable speaking to their employer. As an incredibly personal and sensitive topic, clear policy is vital to encourage a safe space to share and seek support.

What is important when it comes to policy (or guidance)?

‘Guidance’ is key here, as some organisations prefer an informal guidance document to a formal policy, setting out the specific support on offer, whilst signposting to extracts from existing policies. Policy or guidance can work equally well, and we encourage these to be written in the tone of voice of the organisation, with an understanding and appreciation of the sensitivity of the topic.

Accessibility is crucial

It’s important to ensure the policy is not hidden amongst other policies that aren’t relevant or can cause distress, such as the maternity policy.

Put yourself in the shoes of an employee needing to go undergo treatment because they are unable to have a baby. Having to search through a maternity policy that details what you are entitled to after you have a baby could be triggering.

Inclusive and appropriate language is crucial

This topic is vast and diverse, so needs to be inclusive of all paths to parenthood.

Some points to consider include:

The title – “Fertility Policy” is more inclusive than “IVF Policy”. Not all fertility treatment is IVF, so it’s important not to exclude other forms of fertility treatment and reference other paths to parenthood, such as surrogacy, which will also require time off for medical appointments.
Understand that this is a people issue, not just a women’s issue. Policy should reflect this and use gender neutral terms throughout.
Fertility treatment is often one of the only ways the LGBTQ+ community can have a child, so the policy should be inclusive.
Understand that not everyone going through fertility treatment is in a relationship, so try not to exclude those who may be embarking on a solo path to parenthood.

What should be included in the policy?

Firstly, acknowledge that this is a sensitive topic and provide assurances that, as an employer, you recognise the physical and emotional impact this experience can have. Let employees know the process – how to disclose and seek support, who they should speak to and emphasise confidentiality.

The biggest question for employees is often around the time they can take off work.

28% of employees want to see paid compassionate leave
26% are in favour of flexible working arrangements
92% take time off work for treatment

As a result, organisations must be clear on the paid leave available to staff. This doesn’t have to be a significant cost to the business. There are huge benefits in offering support through paid leave such as reduced sickness absence, improved engagement, talent attraction and retention.

Paid leave is important for three reasons:

Fertility treatment is a medical treatment requiring frequent, often late notice, appointments that are difficult to plan far in advance, there can also be procedures where sedation is needed, requiring a day off to recover.
The financial burden can be a significant source of anxiety, with 68.8% of couples having no access to NHS-funded treatment, meaning many self-fund IVF treatment at a cost of over £5000 (+ medication costs) each treatment cycle (NHS). If employees are required to take unpaid leave (23%), or to use annual leave, this can result in an even greater financial burden.
Anecdotally we hear that sick leave is taken where employees have no paid leave available and don’t feel comfortable sharing what they’re going through to ask for paid time off to attend appointments. As an organisation, it’s important to consider the benefits of having a planned absence through paid fertility leave vs unplanned longer term sickness absence due to employees feeling the need to hide treatment, the former is much more preferable.

How much paid leave is made available is down to each organisation, bearing in mind that a typical IVF cycle will have between 6-8 appointments. When sharing entitlements to paid leave it’s important to make clear:

The number of days paid leave
If time can be taken in hours (This can be beneficial to both employees and the business in reducing time away)
If the number of days is allocated per treatment cycle or per year (Per treatment cycle is preferable as fertility treatment can take multiple attempts)
How this is recorded
Absence won’t be counted towards any absence management procedures

Flexible working and reasonable adjustments

Access to flexible working arrangements is pivotal for employees who undergo fertility treatment. Every person is different and will have varying needs, so enabling temporary flexible working can help keep someone at work during treatment.

Providing some examples of what this might look like, such as adjustment of working hours to accommodate appointments or working from home to support the administering of injections, can better equip line managers to have two-way conversations about tailored support.

Access to emotional support

Comprehensive emotional support for employees experiencing fertility treatment is essential. Fertility Network UK found that 90% reported feeling depressed and over half (56%) of those surveyed have used an employee assistance programme (EAP) for emotional support. Signposting to EAP provisions, Occupational Health or specialist counselling through insurance programmes allows a policy to recognise and support the emotional impact.

Signposting

In addition to the above components, signposting to the additional support available to employees, such as employee networks for informal peer to peer support or specialist external charities, is also recommended within policy and guidance.

How can we make our policy live and breathe?

Having a policy that includes all the above is great, but to create a fertility friendly culture it needs to be brought to life. A psychologically safe space for employees is a vital part of this process, otherwise having a policy may become a tick-box exercise. There are some simple ways to do this:

Educate and raise awareness: Provide training for managers and the wider organisation about what it means to go through fertility treatment. With over two-fifths (43%) having faced negative comments or attitudes around their treatment from colleagues, it’s hugely important to educate everyone on how to support and what (not) to say. Focus on awareness days throughout the year and invite specialist organisations such as FMAW to facilitate internal events and conversations.
Share stories: Bring this to life within your organisation and share stories from employees with lived experiences.
Develop peer support: Involve those who understand the experiences of fertility challenges at every stage of the process (including policy creation) and create empowering roles such as ‘fertility champions/allies’ who can help develop peer support groups. Think about intersectionality with existing employee groups (e.g. LGBTQ+ groups) to ensure there is diverse representation and input.

Getting started

Now is the time to start putting in place policies and support for fertility challenges, we’ve seen with recent transformation in the menopause wellbeing space that change is possible and can have huge benefits for both businesses and employees. FMAW provide free resources through our website as well as insights through our podcast ‘The F Word at Work’. If you’d like our support in becoming a fertility friendly employer, you can book in a call to hear more…

For more on how you can start creating a fertility inclusive workforce while attracting and retaining top talent, check out Totaljobs’ ‘Navigating fertility at work report’.

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