Employees struggling with fertility challenges often express concerns that treatment could impact their career prospects and affect their productivity at work. To help juggle workplace commitments alongside medical appointments, Fertility Network UK is encouraging IVF clinics to become more responsive to patients’ constraints and is launching a ‘Clinic Pledge’ as part of its ‘Fertility in the Workplace’ initiative.
In a recent survey of fertility patients conducted by Fertifa and Fertility Network UK (2023), 75% of those interviewed said their productivity at work was strongly impacted by fertility challenges, and more than a third (37%) said that they received very little or no support from their employer. A CIPD (2023) survey found that 40% of employers don’t have a fertility policy and don’t plan to introduce one, leaving those impacted by this medical condition feeling unsupported, isolated and in fear of discrimination.
Claire Heuclin of Fertility Network UK comments: “Our Fertility in the Workplace initiative already offers guidance and support to employers who are looking to understand more about fertility and improve workplace support and education for their staff, as well as providing free support to the one in six affected by infertility struggles, all of whom are of working age.
“Now we are proud to announce our new initiative specifically for clinics and their patients. As the UK’s leading patient-led fertility charity, along with the expertise from Bourn Hall Clinic, we can provide insights to clinics based on patient experiences and offer recommendations on how they can become more supportive of their own patients as they navigate their fertility journey alongside workplace commitments.”
The ‘Clinic Pledge’ asks fertility centres to:
- Raise awareness of Fertility in the Workplace support services by signposting patients to online resources containing tools and information to build their confidence in starting a conversation with employers. (There are also training resources for employers to use with their teams to better understand the impacts of infertility and treatment.)
- Consider small operational changes, such as offering online appointments and a choice of communication methods to help patients work around their own workplace constraints.
- Demonstrate best practice by implementing a fertility policy in the clinic and subscribing to employer workplace support and education packages. This includes recognition of the needs of staff members who may be experiencing their own fertility challenges in what can be a very triggering working environment.
Fertility in the Workplace is supported by the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Fund and Bourn Hall, the world’s first IVF clinic, and is delivered by Fertility Network UK. In collaboration with Bourn Hall, a ‘tool kit’ has been developed that includes templates as starting points for other clinics to develop bespoke fertility policies and workplace focussed patient information.
Dr Thanos Papathanasiou, CEO and Medical Director of Bourn Hall, says: “We believe that a more flexible approach will benefit both patients and clinics. It will reduce the stress, particularly for patients who have restrictive work patterns, such as teachers and shift workers, and improve the patient experience and their ability to access treatment.
“We are delighted to pioneer this initiative with Fertility Network UK and to share our experiences with others to promote best practice.”
Claire Heuclin continues: “We would welcome feedback from patients and their clinics about what works well. We are determined to create a lasting change in workplace culture to make it more supportive for those struggling with fertility challenges.”
More information about Fertility in the Workplace and the Clinic Pledge is available at bit.ly/FiTWsupport
If you have any thoughts or feedback on your own experiences, or are looking for 1:1 support or guidance as an employee, please contact the Fertility in the Workplace team via fitw@fertilitynetworkuk.org (all feedback will be handled entirely anonymously unless otherwise agreed).
Image: Dr Thanos Papathanasiou (Bourn Hall) and Claire Heuclin (Fertility Network UK)
Find out more about Fertility Network : www.fertilitynetworkuk.org
Find out more about Bourn Hall Clinic www.bournhall.co.uk
