Discover Fertifa

When someone has a child, their home life changes completely. Sleep deprivation, physical exhaustion, and mental health pressures don't pause at 9am — and for returning parents, the realities of raising a child constantly shape their working life, and vice versa.

Organisations that don't proactively support new parents through this critical period almost always pay the price: higher turnover, increased absenteeism, and lost productivity. At Fertifa, we believe infant care and family benefits shouldn't be viewed as an added cost, but as a strategic investment in employee wellbeing, retention, and competitive advantage.

Here are ten statistics that make the case.

Retention ROI

Replacing talent is one of the most expensive challenges an HR team faces. The data shows that the period immediately following parental leave is when organisations lose people at the highest rate.

57% of working mothers leave within two years

Data from the Careers After Babies report reveals that 57% of working mothers leave their organisation within two years of giving birth. The figure is even more striking for those who return full-time: 79% ultimately leave due to an unsupportive environment.

Specialist infant care support helps protect that recruitment investment - safeguarding the significant cost of hiring and developing senior talent.

Women are 1.4x more likely to leave due to poor parental support

According to the LEIA UK Report, women are 1.4 times more likely than men to leave an employer because of insufficient parental support frameworks.

Family benefits are a direct lever for DE&I. Strong support frameworks help keep women in the leadership pipeline during their peak career-building years - actively closing gender pay gaps rather than allowing them to widen.

The financial penalty: £1 million per 1,000 employees

Generic, hands-off parental policies costs a typical 1,000-employee organisation over £1 million each year  in avoidable turnover, sick leave, and lost productivity.

A dedicated infant care pathway costs a fraction of what organisations routinely spend on recruitment fees, interim cover, and onboarding replacement hires.

Productivity ROI

The biggest threat to a returning parent's daily output isn't a lack of commitment; it is physical exhaustion and cognitive overload

Over £40 billion lost annually to sleep deprivation

Research from University College London and RAND Europe shows that productivity losses from sleep deprivation cost the UK economy over £40 billion each year.

When employers provide access to paediatric sleep consultants - a core part of Fertifa's Infant Care pathway - parents resolve newborn sleep challenges weeks faster. The result is sharper focus, better decision-making, and stronger output during working hours.

64% of working mothers experience chronic overwhelm

Recent YouGov data paints a stark picture: 64% of working mothers report feeling completely overwhelmed by their responsibilities, and 66% report chronic burnout.

Presenteeism - being online but mentally checked out - is a hidden but significant drain on business performance. Access to clinical support helps reduce the mental load, allowing parents to show up more fully at work.

46% of working parents are actively seeking wellbeing benefits

46% of all working parents say they are actively looking for employer-led programmes designed to reduce parental burnout and support family wellbeing.

In a competitive talent market, specialist infant care support isn't just a retention tool, it's a recruitment one.

Operational ROI

Over 40% of hybrid workers still experience severe stress

Many organisations assume that flexible working solves the return-to-work challenge. The 2026 Modern Families Index indicates otherwise: over 40% of hybrid-working parents still face debilitating stress trying to balance work and care.

Flexibility alone doesn't replace specialist support. When parents quietly use sick days or annual leave to manage unresolved infant health or feeding issues, the business absorbs the cost through unplanned absence.

72% of fathers face significant identity conflict at work

Retention is not only a women's issue. A study by WOMBA and Hult International Business School found that 72% of working fathers struggle to balance their professional and parental identities, while 57% experience significant guilt on returning to work.

Inclusive, accessible support pathways help fathers and co-parents share the caregiving load more equally - reducing the burden on mothers and driving engagement across the whole workforce.

Competitive edge

33% of businesses offer no tailored support for managers handling parental leave returns

Up to 33% of businesses do not offer training for managers. Without structured guidance, a returning employee's experience is entirely dependent on the personal empathy of their line manager. That's not a policy - it's a lottery.

Standardising support through an expert-led clinical pathway ensures every returning parent is managed consistently and has access to the right care at the right time.

Family benefits deliver a 4:1 return on investment

Global benefits data confirms that comprehensive family healthcare programmes yield an average 4:1 ROI through reduced recruitment costs, lower absenteeism, and improved productivity.

Every pound invested in supporting employees through early parenthood pays back in long-term loyalty, wellbeing, and performance.

Infant Care support with Fertifa

At Fertifa, we offer unlimited infant paediatric and parental wellbeing support and navigational advice throughout the first 12 months of an infant’s life, to ensure people have the right support, when they need it most.

Our patients have access to unlimited 1-2-1 chats and calls with the Fertifa clinical team for support and advice, and referrals to specialist care where needed.

If you would like to learn more, please get in touch by filling in the form below and a member of the team will get back to you!