05 Jul 2024

Supporting employees’ fertility journey: how can businesses help?

Being there for workers going through fertility treatment can mean happier staff, better retention and better progression of talented women.

The trend of delaying having children can pose various challenges for employees and businesses.

Approximately one in seven couples encounter challenges with fertility. In around 30% of cases the man has fertility problems, in 30% it’s the woman and in 30-40% of cases it’s a combination of the two, or the cause is unknown.

A recent study found that 60% of people in a relationship where one partner was undergoing fertility treatment said this had impacted their mental health. Furthermore, almost half (49%) said infertility had undermined their work-life balance.

Supporting employees

Businesses have an opportunity to enhance support for employees aspiring to parenthood. According to research conducted for the Fawcett Society, 43% of employees receiving fertility treatment find it difficult to meet the demands of their treatment alongside their professional responsibilities.

Communication poses a significant hurdle, as 68% of those receiving fertility treatment had not informed their HR department, and 59% had kept it from their manager. While some attribute this to a lack of workplace support, 50% of women said they weren’t sure why they hadn’t disclosed they were having treatment.

Fertility-related challenges

In the 1970s, the average first-time mother was 26.4 years old. Now, according to YouGov polling, most people believe 28 is the ideal age for a woman to start a family. However, the actual average age at which women have their first child has risen to 30.9.

Fertility in women typically starts to decrease when they reach their early 30s, a time which coincides with when many decide to start a family. After the age of 35, the probability of conceiving can begin to fall more rapidly.

Concurrently, the likelihood of miscarriage increases with age, being about 10% for women between 25 and 29 years old. This percentage approximately doubles for women aged between 35 and 39 and escalates to over 50% for women older than 45.

Competing pressures

Charlotte Gentry, founder of The IVF Network, said, “It can be difficult to reconcile these competing pressures, and there may be underlying societal expectations and prejudices to navigate.”

Additionally, data indicates age-related decline in male fertility associated with reduced sperm quality, decreasing levels of testosterone and a growing incidence of erectile dysfunction.

Gentry added, “When you discover you have a fertility-related challenge the immense feeling of failure is overwhelming. Everyone around you makes it look so easy and you are battling against all odds. The prospect of having to undergo fertility treatment is terrifying and then combine the pressures of work, the entire experience has a detrimental effect on one’s mental health leading to guilt, emptiness, anxiety, and depression.”

Creating an open and supportive culture

A significant majority, 92%, had taken leave for treatment, and nearly half, at 42%, feel that this has impeded their career progression.

Gentry concluded, “This highlights the importance of creating an open and supportive culture and embedding a family-friendly approach.

“When line managers are aware that a team member is having fertility treatment, they are able to offer greater flexibility around appointments, reasonable adjustments at work and signpost help and resources.”

As Jemima Olchawski, chief executive of the Fawcett Society says, “Creating an environment which supports workers going through fertility treatment will result in happier staff, better retention, and better progression of talented women, all of which ultimately leads to an improved gender pay gap and more flourishing staff.”

Learn more about family and fertility

Our latest Health Horizons event on family and fertility explored how families, and the needs of parents, are changing – and what this means for business. You can re-watch our virtual event and download supporting materials by visiting Health Horizons.