The Business Value Of Being A Fertility-Friendly Employer
Many people are facing the complex and often overwhelming task of managing fertility treatments alongside their careers. Businesses have a unique opportunity to step up as fertility-friendly employers, offering critical support to team members navigating this journey. Being proactive in this area not only demonstrates empathy but also yields measurable benefits to a company’s culture, retention, and reputation. Let’s explore why this matters, who should be involved, and practical steps to create a fertility-friendly workplace.
Why Should Businesses Care About Being Fertility-Friendly?
Today’s workforce values empathy, inclusivity, and genuine support from their employers. By actively supporting employees experiencing fertility challenges, businesses can foster loyalty, engagement, and trust, which directly impacts employee retention and overall morale.
Here’s why being a fertility-friendly employer matters:
1.Retention and Engagement
Fertility treatment can be emotionally and physically exhausting, making it challenging for employees to balance work responsibilities effectively. By creating an environment where employees feel supported, employers can help alleviate some of this burden, leading to higher levels of engagement, reduced absenteeism, and increased loyalty. In short, you’ll get back what you give.
2. Attracting Talent
Offering support or benefits is becoming a competitive advantage. With many professionals carefully evaluating a company’s culture and support systems, fertility-friendly policies can set an employer apart. Candidates, especially those with family-building aspirations, are increasingly seeking workplaces that align with their personal and family goals.
3.Productivity and Wellbeing
Employees feeling unsupported during such a critical life stage may struggle with productivity or mental health. Knowing they’re supported and their needs are understood can help employees manage their stress better, leading to a more focused and productive workforce.
4.Cultural Impact and Inclusivity
Embracing fertility-friendly policies contributes to a more inclusive culture, showing employees that they’re valued as people, not just workers. This kind of psychological safety can build a more compassionate, engaged, and productive workforce.
Who is Responsible for Being Fertility-Friendly?
While HR plays a key role in shaping fertility-friendly policies, building a truly supportive culture requires everyone in the business to get on board. Here’s how both HR and people managers can contribute:
●HR’s Role
HR is typically responsible for crafting inclusive policies and benefits packages, ensuring access to fertility treatments, flexible work options, or mental health resources. HR can also create awareness and education options around these offerings, making sure employees know what’s available and feel encouraged to take advantage of them without stigma or hesitation.
●People Managers’ Role
People managers are often the first line of support for employees experiencing fertility challenges. Their sensitivity, understanding, and willingness to offer flexibility can make an immense difference. Training people managers to recognise signs of stress, respond with empathy, listen, and guide employees to resources can reinforce a fertility-friendly culture at all levels of the organisation.
●Leadership’s Role
The culture and focus of a business must be set by its leaders. Being clear on the type of culture you want to create, living and breathing that, and encouraging everyone else in the business to be part of it is key.
What’s on Your Fertility-Friendly Employer Checklist?
Building a fertility-friendly workplace is more than just adding a line item to benefits—it’s about fostering a culture of compassion, respect, and understanding. Here’s a checklist to help your organisation create a supportive environment for employees navigating fertility challenges:
1.Create Psychological Safety
Feeling psychologically safe allows people to perform their best at home, school, and work. Do your employees feel comfortable talking about their personal lives and things that may impact their work? The first steps in doing this are
-demonstrating concern for employees as people
-promoting self-awareness
-explaining the reasons for change and include employees in it
-placing value on care, empathy and inclusivity
-owning up to mistakes
-and promoting positive discussion and reducing stigma about topics
such as infertility, menopause, grief. Psychological safety is one of the three things employees value most in today’s workplace (86%), beat by regular pay raises (84%) and followed by flexible work (83%). Oyster HR 2023
2. Listen
This is key - don’t assume you know what your employees want. Ask them. I wanted to throw myself into work, to be put on the biggest projects but I also needed flexibility and to be trusted to do my job as brilliantly as I always had. I also asked my MD to catch me if I fell, and in turn I promised to tell him if I was struggling. Also, mirror language. If someone says infertility you can use that term but if they say fertility challenges use that. Or miscarriage vs baby loss. Whatever they say is right. And if you’re not sure don’t be afraid to ask.
3. Education
A recent study conducted by Manchester Metropolitan University revealed that employees experiencing infertility regarded their managers as especially “crucial to the provision of appropriate support”. Therefore, it is important for employers to educate managers on infertility and its associated challenges and to equip them with the tools to create a safe environment in which employees feel comfortable discussing such a personal topic. Encouraging managers to foster a safe space for employees can make an immense difference in how supported they feel.
4. Signpost Support
This could be external emotional support, such as therapy and guidance. Is it possible to create a Fertility Ambassador role? This is usually someone who has experienced fertility challenges and can provide confidential support. If your healthcare provider covers fertility investigations and treatment, make sure its flagged to all employees.
Becoming a Fertility-Friendly Workplace: The Bottom Line
Being a fertility-friendly employer isn’t just the “right thing to do”—it’s a strategic choice that positively impacts recruitment, retention and overall company success and finances. Employees who feel understood and supported in their personal lives are more likely to be engaged, productive, and loyal. By prioritising fertility-friendly policies, businesses demonstrate their commitment to supporting employees holistically, building a compassionate, inclusive and resilient workplace for all.
Implementing even a few of these strategies can help create a workplace where employees feel empowered to pursue their family-building goals while thriving in their careers.
This blog post was written by our partner coach and fertility coaching expert Jen Elworthy. To discuss working with Jen use the book a call link below.
*This post was written with the assistance of AI