We’ve come a long way as a society in creating a more accepting workplace, and one of the ways your company can help is by providing fertility support.
No Longer Taboo
For years there has been a stigma associated with reproductive health, and many employees are concerned that pregnancy, miscarriage, menopause or infertility may lead to judgements from coworkers and possibly impact their careers. However, this topic should no longer be an area that is considered taboo. One in eight couples are unable to conceive due to infertility. And a growing number of LGBT+ couples require specialized services in order to have families, but the staggering costs often make it impossible. This is where your company could come in and make big changes.
What Support Looks Like
Fertility treatments can range from $5,000 to $75,000 and that burden alone can mean people will decide against treatment no matter the emotional burden that it will then place on them. “Your company can offer a wide variety of benefits from care navigation to financial support to emotional support you can reduce the stress your employees are facing at this time. This is why fertility benefits should be a top priority for your company,” explains Diane Richmond, a journalist at Assignment Help and Essay Services.
Employee Engagement
We spend a third of our lives at work, so any big life events are going to impact our professional lives. Being able to alleviate some of these burdens actually benefits you and your company as it can lead to a happier and more productive workplace. You’ll may also find that there are fewer absences if you are understanding about the toll fertility treatments can take. Overall, the real benefit of helping your employees though is giving them the opportunity to start a family.
Gender Equality
This is not solely a program to help women, but can also help all genders and those in the LGBT+ community who want to start a family. For women who want a family someday but aren’t ready, egg freezing cycles may be an option. You should also make sure your company is actively working to close its gender pay gap in order to reduce the stress of financial pressure. And for men, paternity leave is becoming a more sought-after benefit.
Staying Family Friendly
“You should look at the company policies you have in place to make sure that they are accessible to all and provide benefits in relation to fertility. But beyond this, you should consider further policies for when children arrive, including decent paternity/maternity leave, discounted childcare and flexible working hours,” says Trevor Pilmson, an HR manager at Custom Writing and Revieweal. Make the company an attractive place to work and you will build a loyal staff who are engaged and feel appreciated.
Keeping Your Talent
If you are still not sold on providing fertility benefits you should consider how not having these benefits could affect employee retention, especially with key talent. There is an overall shift to a more inclusive, socially responsible and flexible work environment. Invest in your employees and make them feel appreciated and you will find they are willing to stay with the company for a longer period of time.
Fertility benefits used to be a taboo topic, but are now something that we need to discuss openly. As an employer, it is important to consider how to show your employees they are appreciated and to be aware of any and all issues that may affect them with empathy. In the end, providing financial and emotional support for any employee who is trying to start a family during a particularly hard time will allow you to not only reap the benefits of a loyal employee who is engaged and productive, but to also give the ultimate gift of helping people start a family where that hope may have been lost in the past.
Writer Jenny Han, Essay Help and Assignment Help services, is passionate about helping people and sharing her expertise about digital marketing and entrepreneurship across the world. Also, she is a tutor at Essay Services Review.