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With more and more people openly talking about their struggles with conceiving, the demand for fertility benefits at work is on the rise. And with just one cycle of IVF costing up to £5,000, it’s no surprise that workers want financial help for everything from egg freezing to counselling. Here’s why you should consider adding fertility benefits to your employee perks package if you want to stay competitive.
What are fertility benefits?
Did you know that 1 in 7 couples struggle with pregnancy in the UK? And in the US, 1 in 4 married women have difficulty carrying a child to term? Given that it can cost £460 for a single fertility check, it should come as no surprise that having access to a range of fertility benefits at work is a priority for a lot of people. It’s not just the financial burden of fertility struggles, but the emotional aspect too. For many people, the prospect of not being able to carry a child is incredibly upsetting and can lead to the need for time off work or therapy.
But what kind of fertility benefits are available? While they vary, fertility benefits often include assisted reproductive technology (ART), which covers IVF, gestational surrogacy and donor eggs. You can also get at-home fertility testing kits and paid time off to attend appointments. But it doesn’t have to be limited to that. Depending on your provider, egg freezing, counselling, fertility testing, drug therapy and intrauterine insemination (IUI) might also be covered under your benefits package.
Fertility benefits vs parental benefits
Fertility and parental benefits are different, but companies should really consider offering both. This is because both types of perks contribute to your diversity, equity and inclusion goals by helping anyone – regardless of their background, race, gender or ethnicity – to have a happy, healthy family.
Ultimately, fertility benefits recognise the challenges (both emotional and financial) associated with trying to conceive. Parental benefits, however, focus more on life after you’ve given birth. For example, parental benefits often cover paid maternity/paternity leave, workplace nursery schemes and childcare support.
Along with benefits like flexible or remote working and health insurance, offering fertility and parental benefits is another way to show your employees you care. 59% of people in this survey claimed that fertility has impacted their work performance, which suggests that providing financial and emotional help and guidance can improve employee motivation and productivity. Paid time off and funding for treatment can give your people peace of mind and the feeling that covering the cost of expensive fertility care is one less thing to worry about.
Providers that offer fertility benefits
Hertility and Fertifa are the main providers of corporate fertility benefits in the UK. But there are a range of others to choose from depending on your budget and staff’s needs, such as Apryl and Maven Clinic.
Hertility was born out of a belief that people deserve more than just test results; they need support and guidance from real people on their fertility journey. Hertility offers tailored, at-home fertility and hormone testing for reproductive health, PCOS, endometriosis and more – and it’s all backed by science. A typical fertility check-up consultation can cost up to £1,800 and take up to 15 months. With Hertility, you can enjoy affordable and quick health testing, with a guided, clinically led pathway to care. Plus, you can speak with trusted professionals and book appointments directly with their partner clinics.
Fertifa provides fertility benefits for workers across the UK, Europe, Asia and the US. It’s not just for female fertility, either – they can also help you with family forming and menopause care. Fertifa recognises that 40% of fertility issues between heterosexual couples are due to male factors, which is why they also provide support for men’s health and sexual health. Whether you want one-to-one clinical support, educational material and guidance or funding for treatments, there’s a host of flexible plans on offer.
Which companies are already offering fertility benefits?
The number of companies incorporating fertility into their employee benefits packages is increasing at pace. And it’s no wonder given that 53% of employees with fertility issues say they’d be more likely to stay at their company if the employer funded fertility treatment.
Everyone from Monzo and Virgin to NatWest and Lululemon uses Fertifa, for example. Employees at Monzo, a brand praised for its approach to diversity and inclusion, benefit from eight days of leave a year for fertility treatments, as well as access to advisors for menopause and perimenopause. Similarly, staff at Space NK have access to dedicated Q&A sessions and webinars with a fertility doctor on the most important areas in fertility thanks to Fertifa.
In another win for employees at large companies, Channel 4 announced their partnership with Hertility to start a trial offering reproductive health and hormone testing to its employees. Through the collaboration, employees gained access to an NHS-approved health assessment and blood test designed screen for reproductive health issues. Staff were also offered educational workshops focused on different reproductive health issues and hormonal wellbeing.
Still need a reason to provide fertility benefits at your business? Consider this: in one study, a massive 82% of respondents who’d already undergone IVF would not consider working for a company that didn't offer fertility benefits. It’s clear that fertility is a growing problem, and providing financial and emotional help is the best way to attract and retain employees of both genders.
If you want to learn more about offering fertility benefits at your organisation, get in touch with us here at Ben. We understand the importance of supporting your employees through important life decisions like this with leading fertility care. That’s why we work with providers like Hertility, Fertifa, Carrot and more. Whether your staff are thinking about starting a family imminently or in the future, providing them with fertility benefits now is the best way to make sure they feel supported and able to continue doing their best work.