Battling infertility can be an emotional experience.
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About one in seven couples will experience infertility issues. Despite the large number of employees potentially impacted, managers are often at a loss when figuring out how to best support their employees. Infertility and miscarriage remain taboo topics, particularly at work, and employees often go without the support they need.
Providing money is often the go-to for organizations that want to support infertile couples. Undergoing fertility treatment to become a parent can be a huge financial commitment, and more than half of larger companies currently provide some sort of financial coverage. For example, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google cover at least some of the expenses associated with in vitro fertilization (IVF), a common route for many experiencing infertility. While financial help is often needed, it isn’t the only support that infertile couples need from their employers.
Dr. Amy Beckley is the CEO of Proov, a company she founded after her own three years battling infertility and seven miscarriages. The Proov product helps women track their hormones which can aid in fertility. Beckley believes that employers need to do more to support their employees experiencing infertility. “You can’t just throw money at the problem and fix it,” she says. Instead, she believes employees need support, flexibility and education. And most employees aren’t getting what they need. Only a small portion of infertile couples (29%) felt supported by their employer, according to a new study of infertile couples.
