What are fertility benefits for employers and how can they help employees?

Employers offer fertility benefits to support their employees and their partners in their journeys to start or expand their families. Fertility benefits can look different for each company and can include a wide range of medical, financial, and emotional support services, all designed to help individuals with their fertility challenges. Examples can include: 

• Access to reproductive health assessments
• Family-building benefits
• Access to fertility treatment such as vitro fertilization (IVF), Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
• Egg/sperm freezing
• Genetic testing
• Financial support

Implementing fertility benefits as an employer can shows your commitment to building an inclusive and open workplace, by acknowledging the importance of family-forming and fertility related issues in your employees lives. It shows that you recognise there's not always one simple path to parenthood. Fertility benefits also demonstrate the importance of equal treatment within a company by helping open doors to parenthood for everyone, regardless of whether they are single people, their marital status, or their sexual orientation.

What sort of issues can fertility benefits help with?

With the rate of infertility rising globally, 1 in 6 people will experience fertility challenges or obstacles on their path to parenthood. Unless you've been through fertility challenges yourself, it can be difficult to know exactly what it all means. We've broken that down for you and here are some of the most common causes of infertility:

1. Unexplained Infertility: This is when the cause of fertility problems cannot be pinpointed through initial assessments. In such cases, fertility treatments like intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be recommended.
2. Ovulatory Disorders: Including conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) or irregular ovulation.
3. Low Sperm Count or Poor Sperm Quality: Fertility treatments like intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or using donor sperm (if you're in a heterosexual couple) can be helpful options in cases of make factor infertility.
4. Blocked Fallopian Tubes
5. Endometriosis: In cases of severe endometriosis, surgery may be needed to remove tissue growth. In such cases, Assisted reproductive techniques like IVF can also be considered.
6. Age: Both the quantity and quality of a woman's eggs decline as she ages, making it more difficult to conceive and increasing the risk of pregnancy complications. In such cases, IVF or donor eggs may be recommended.
7. Male Infertility: Having a low sperm count, poor sperm motility (movement), or abnormal sperm morphology (shape), all reduce the likelihood of successfully fertilising an egg.
8. Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
9. Uterine Issues: Fibroids, polyps, or congenital abnormalities can disrupt the uterine environment and prevent a successful implantation of an embryo in the womb. 
10. Hormonal Imbalances: These can disrupt regular ovulation and proper functioning of the reproductive organs, both of which are crucial to good fertility.

We understand fertility issues such as those listed above can be emotionally and financially straining. If you have had an infertility diagnosis and think you could benefit from support, make sure to contact your GP or fertility specialist for guidance on how to manage these issues and the next steps you should take to resolve them 💜

How can fertility benefits tackle these issues?

Fertility coverage or fertility benefits doesn't always have to be financial support for treatment. However, people who go through fertility or family-forming challenges do say that the financial strain is one of the hardest things to go through. The financial impact of fertility treatment can also have a longer-term impact on people and this is  known as the 'hidden cost of fertility'. In our recent survey with Fertility Network UK, we found that almost 1 in 5 people left their jobs or took a change in responsibilities.

We know that implementing financial fertility support can be expensive, so here are some other fertility benefits you can implement to help boost well-being, job satisfaction, and employee retention. Some of the main ones include:

1. Fertility treatments: Providing coverage for fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), intrauterine insemination (IUI), and other assisted reproductive technologies can be a significant benefit for employees struggling with infertility. The average cost of a fertility treatment is approximately £5,000 per cycle, so any contribution will be meaningful. 
2. Fertility testing: Covering the costs of fertility testing, including hormone testing, genetic screening, and other diagnostic procedures, can help employees identify underlying issues early.
3. Egg freezing: Offering financial assistance or coverage for egg freezing can provide employees with the option to preserve their fertility for the future.
4. Fertility counseling: Including counseling services in your fertility policy can help employees dealing with infertility access therapeutic services which can guide them through the process, and tackle any associated mental health challenges.  
5. Maternity and paternity leave: Offering generous maternity and paternity leave policies enables employees to spend quality time with their newborns or newly adopted children.
6. Adoption assistance: Adoption can be a great option for those who have tried/cannot access treatment, individuals, and same-sex couples.
7. Fertility preservation for cancer patients: Offering coverage for fertility preservation procedures like sperm or egg freezing for can be incredibly reassuring for employees, especially if they are experiencing issues with their fertility.
8. Flexible work arrangements: Allowing flexible working hours or remote work options can help employees balance their work commitments with any fertility treatments and appointments they are attending.
9. Educational resources: Offering educational resources and support through workshops, webinars, or access to information about family planning and fertility health.
10. Wellness programmes: Promoting overall wellness through programs that focus on healthy lifestyles, stress management, and nutrition,  all of which can impact fertility.
11. Health insurance coverage: Health insurance plans rarely cover fertility treatment and prenatal care. However, they do offer some forms of support, such as counselling, which can still help employees starting families.
12. Employee assistance programmes (EAP): EAPs can provide employees with resources, counseling, and guidance on fertility and family planning matters.
13. Financial assistance or reimbursement: Providing financial assistance or reimbursement for genetic testing, adoption costs, surrogacy expenses, fertility treatments and fertility medications can alleviate the financial burden on employees.
14. Supportive company culture: Creating a supportive, inclusive, and non-discriminatory work environment is crucial. By prioritising employee wellbeing and respecting choices when it comes to family planning, you can ensure employees feel supported both at home and in the workplace.

We understand that budget restrictions limit the types of support employers can offer their employees as they go through their fertility journeys, and that comprehensive fertility benefits offering to cover every cost of fertility treatment are simply unrealistic for most.

However, any contribution to healthcare costs, wellbeing support, fertility testing or even educational material can make all the difference to employees.

These fertility benefits can make a significant difference in the lives of employees who are trying to conceive or build a family, fostering a more inclusive and supportive workplace. Employers should consider the specific needs and preferences of their workforce when designing fertility benefit programmes. If you're looking to implement fertility benefits for your employees, get in touch with the Fertifa team 💜