Top 4 reasons why you should offer reproductive health benefits
Reproductive health and fertility benefits are no longer seen as a ‘nice-to-have’, but an essential part of employee wellbeing increasingly becoming a top priority for employers.
The dynamics of the workplace have rapidly shifted since the Covid-19 pandemic, and more and more employees are prioritising their wellbeing and looking to their employers to provide well-rounded benefits packages.
Fertility and reproductive health support is emerging as a key employee need. Demand for inclusive fertility benefits is growing year-on-year – with up to 71% of employers looking to adopt fertility benefits soon.
Additionally, the estimated global productivity loss due to employees experiencing menopausal symptoms is a staggering $150bn a year. With around 20% of the workforce, according to Let’s Talk Menopause, being pre to post-menopausal, menopause benefits are emerging as a vital lifeline for employers and employees alike.
However these initiatives aren’t just a tick box for improving diversity and inclusivity – they can drive a significant effect on an organisations’ bottom line, with some providers seeing an ROI of x6 and more.
Here are the top 4 reasons why your organisation’s wellbeing budget should include a comprehensive fertility and reproductive health benefits package.
1. Improved retention and reduced turnover costs
Recent research from Fertility Network UK showed companies that are not supporting their employees through fertility treatments, including LGBTQIA+ individuals, has a significant negative effect on employee retention.
One in five employees going through fertility treatment left their jobs due to insufficient support within the last five years alone. With the average cost to replace an employee in the UK being around £30K, the right reproductive health and fertility support can have a positive impact on your bottom line through employee retention alone.
2. Appealing to wider talent pools
Reproductive health issues affect employees of all ages and identities across the talent pool.
One in three Gen Z employees think fertility benefits should be a part of their package and are seeking employers that offer attractive, well-rounded benefits.
At the other end of the spectrum, perimenopausal and menopausal women are seeking employers with rigorous menopause support policies – with 42% considering quitting their jobs due to symptoms.
With job ads citing fertility benefits up by 700% since March 2022, they are fast becoming an important factor in diverse talent acquisition at all organisational levels. This rings especially true for companies looking to attract women into senior leadership positions and improve gender diversity at the top.
3. Fostering a culture of care
Fertility benefits signal to your workforce that you, as an organisation, are committed to supporting your employees beyond the scope of the office. This can demonstrate to your employees that you care about them as individuals, whatever life stage they are at.
Creating an environment where employees feel supported through any struggles, or simply aware that they have options should they need them, helps to foster a culture of care that translates into improved productivity and overall satisfaction.
4. Cost savings
While fertility benefit packages might seem like less of a priority compared to mental or physical health initiatives during times of tighter budgets, the upstream and downstream savings can have significant longer-term ROI.
Reproductive health is intimately linked to mental and physical wellbeing. Offering a well-rounded support package that focuses on education in addition to reproductive health testing and treatment can initiate preventative care, reducing longer-term costs like employee absence.
Getting started with reproductive health benefits
Reproductive health benefits are far more than simply covering the cost of IVF treatments or allowing extra time off for menopause support. Impactful initiatives should be multifactorial, focusing on community-building and education through to treatment support.
Regardless of life stage or identity, all employees should feel supported across the physical and mental wellbeing spectrum.
The Hertility productivity loss calculator can help you decipher your estimated annual losses from employee reproductive health. In turn, you can accurately estimate your workforce’s needs for fertility and reproductive health benefits – the first step towards building a robust business case.
Contact [email protected] to find out how reproductive health support can help your people and business.
In partnership with Hertility
Hertility is a reproductive health company shaping the future of the workplace. We’re working with forward-thinking companies to proactively support employees across every life stage with end to end care spanning fertility, LGBTQ+ family-forming & menopause. The workplace wasn’t designed with everyone in mind, we’re here to change that. We empower employers to attract, support and retain a diverse, thriving and innovative workforce with expert-led education, comprehensive health screening and policy review Hertility is setting a new standard of care and support in the workplace by empowering organisations to become accredited as Reproductively Responsible™ employers.
