Is infertility a workplace issue?
What would you say? Yes or no?
By Kirsty Smith, Powered By Diversity Collective
If you consider that on average, 1 in 6 individuals and 1 in 7 couples (all of working age) are affected by fertility issues, and 92% of those affected will take time off work for some kind of treatment (Fawcett Society: 2023), to me, it’s clear that fertility is 100% a workplace issue.
Despite infertility being a medical condition, there is little awareness among employers of how physically, psychologically, and financially demanding infertility can be for people going through it.
A study by Fertility Network UK showed that couples who were working full-time and going through fertility treatment were:
Finding it difficult to focus at work
Worrying about their career progression
Experiencing high levels of stress
Having to take holiday/ unpaid days to undergo treatment
Unlikely to disclose their condition to their employers
So while individuals are suffering, the workplace is also suffering.
This issue isn’t going to go away and is only going to impact organisations more as fertility rates globally are declining. In 2017 a study found that sperm counts in the west had plummeted by 59% between 1973 and 2011. This is a working age population issue (that is set to get worse) and yet when it comes to support in the workplace, fertility still remains largely invisible.
So what can your organisation do? Here are a few key steps to take:
Review current policies and ensure that they are fit for purpose - this might mean creating a new fertility policy and updating flexible working arrangements
Share available support regularly with employers so they know what’s on offer for them through employee assistance programmes
Offer education and training for line managers - remember that staff leave managers not companies - how can you support your managers to be empathetic, flexible, and supportive?
Offer education and support sessions for all employees to demonstrate how you as an employer support fertility in the workplace
What steps will your organisation take first to be a fertility-aware and considerate employer attract talent and retain staff?
About the author
Kirsty Smith is the Founder of Natural Rays, a wellbeing consultancy passionate about helping organisations develop happy and cohesive teams. As a Functional Medicine Health Coach, Kirsty specialises in hormone and menstrual health. She works with individuals and employers to support women and those that menstruate to better understand their menstrual cycle and how to work with it so that they can have consistent energy, better mood, less brain fog, and the enthusiasm to live the life they have worked so hard to create.
About the Collective
The Powered By Diversity Collective works with Powered By Diversity to produce a wealth of lived experience playbooks, videos and other training materials to give businesses the tools to create a truly equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace.
Further materials (available though subscription to the Powered By Diversity award winning data platform)
An Introduction to Sex, Gender & Equality
Parental Inclusion In Business
#Fertility #Infertility #FertilityRates #ReproductiveHealth