Becky Kearns
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Why is fertility an issue for the workplace?
So fertility may not naturally seem like a topic that you will talk about in the workplace, but what we know is that one in seven individuals in the UK are facing fertility struggles. We know that one in four pregnancies end in loss. So there are so many people within organisations who are going through this, but often in silence. And what we often find is that organisations aren't talking about this topic because people aren't talking to them about it. Nobody feels comfortable to open up about what they're going through. And for those who are going through it because they don't see the organisation recognising this, they're less likely to share. And so what we want to try and encourage is for organisations to open up this topic to try and break down the taboo. And what they will find are more and more people who are going through this, who will come forward and share their struggles in the past, or maybe something that they're going through right now. But what organisations can do is make a huge difference for people on this journey.
How can we create a fertility friendly workplace?
So a fertility friendly workplace is really down to the culture of an organisation. You can have a policy in place, but if the culture doesn't match that policy, people still won't feel safe to open up and to create that psychologically safe environment. What we need is for people to be able to feel safe in talking about this in the first place. So knowing that their manager is aware that they can support them through this process, knowing that there are internal support networks to go to, knowing that they can get flexible working, but also knowing that what they are going through is understood no matter who they are and what their path to parenthood is.
What internal support can be provided?
There's lots of internal support that can be provided, starting with an appropriate and accessible policy that will signal to employees that support is available. It's also really important that managers are trained so that they know how to support somebody who's going through this and that awareness is raised within the organisation so people know and feel safe to be able to talk about what is typically quite a taboo topic. Flexible working is also really important to help support somebody through the practicalities of going through fertility treatment. And it's also really important to have those internal peer-to-peer support networks so that there's somebody that you can go and chat to and speak to about that have been through the exact same feelings, emotions, and journey. And finally, signposting to other supports such as occupational health or an employee assistance programme can also offer that additional emotional support that people need.