Caring & family support

As 2022 began against a stormy backdrop of party politics, scientists reported sight of the ‘peak of Omicron’ – not a feature on the moon’s surface, but the tipping point leading to the easing of pandemic restrictions, across the UK.

For many employees, starting a family is a lifelong dream and expectation. But the realities of trying to start or grow a family with the help of fertility treatment can be more complex – and costly.

When a child becomes seriously ill, although the NHS provides world-class medical care, parents often become part of the care team. This clearly has a significant financial and emotional impact on the parental challenge of balancing the demands of work.

One in six couples experience difficulties in conceiving, which equates to over 3.5 million people. This is a large proportion of our workforce and offering some level of support at work makes sound business sense for a number of reasons.

Once a taboo topic in the workplace, an increasing number of leading employers are now looking to support employees with managing their fertility and getting on the road to parenthood. By understanding the impact of hormones on mental wellbeing and productivity, through to talent retention and career progression implications, employers stand to gain by being publicly open to caring about fertility.