Many employees fear telling their employer they are seeking fertility treatment and actively trying for a baby. In fact, nearly 60% of people trying to conceive hide the reason for fertility-related absences from their colleagues and 38% of employees undergoing fertility treatment even considered leaving their jobs.
Even though fertility struggles are being talked about more in the mainstream media, many people will still suffer in silence. When you consider that 1 in 7 individuals in the UK will experience difficulties trying to build their family, with 3.5 million people in the UK currently experiencing fertility problems, it is more than likely some of your immediate work colleagues may also be struggling.
We aim to radically change the support offered by employers to those facing fertility struggles. We know that people are having embryo transfers between meetings, sneaking off to administer injections in the loo that they’d hidden in the staff fridge, attending meetings whilst going through a miscarriage – with little support in place for them.
We currently offer two fertility at work webinars, delivered by a trio of fertility experts and advocates who bring to life through their own professional and personal experiences the impact these struggles can have on an individual whilst working.
Workshop 1: Understanding Fertility at Work
The aim of this workshop, suitable for all employees is to raise awareness and educate not just employers – but colleagues too about how they can best support someone going through this all too common, but little spoken about, issue. This 60 minute session will cover:
● What is infertility
● Who might need fertility treatment
● Our own personal insights
● Findings of multiple research studies on the impact of infertility at work
● The complex emotional, financial, social and physical toll it takes
● Why fertility matters in the workplace
● How employees can ask for help
● The challenges for someone working whilst going through this experience
Workshop 2: Supporting Fertility at Work (For Managers & HR professionals)
Part of the reason employees are reluctant to disclose is a lack of recognition and support within workplaces, with recent surveys finding that almost 70% of those going through fertility struggles had no policy within their workplace and, of those who did, only 1.7% of those policies met their needs.
The survey also found that the impact of this struggle whilst at work had meant that as many as 36% had considered leaving their employment, thus hugely impacting engagement, attention and retention across the company.
In this dedicated session for HR and line managers, we are looking to radically change the support offered by employers to those facing fertility struggles, bringing you real-life accounts of the challenges that these struggles not only impose on the individual, but an employer too. This 60 minute session will cover:
● Why fertility matters in the workplace
● Our own personal insights
● Findings of multiple research studies on the impact of infertility at work
● The complex emotional, financial, social and physical toll it can take
● Why employees are reluctant to disclose
● How to support them through useful policy guidance and constructive conversations
● What employment legislation is currently in place
● How you can raise awareness and normalise these conversations within your workplace
● How we can support in educating your People Managers and wider teams and support your organisation in becoming Fertility Friendly
● Opportunities for further support with e-learning, tailored training and consultancy packages
More than 9 in 10 women said that their struggle to conceive had impacted their career.
25% of employees had a negative experience with their employer whilst going through fertility treatment.
2% of employees said their company had a fertility policy that actually met their needs.
BOOK FERTILITY AT WORK
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