Eight in 10 (82%) employees either undergoing or preparing for fertility treatment would only consider working for an employer that offered fertility benefits, according to research by UK virtual fertility clinic Apricity.
The survey of 500 UK people, with 40% undergoing fertility treatment and 60% preparing for it, found that 61% would expect their employer to cover these costs either in full or part, and that 84% funded their treatment themselves.
The average income of respondents was £31,400, with one cycle of IVF with medication costing upwards of £7,000, or £5,000 without medication.
While 84% had to take time off during treatment, 38% took this time off under annual leave and a further 16% took no time off at all. Half (47%) did not tell anyone about their IVF treatments, with (52%) citing shame and embarrassment as the primary reason.
More than half (57%) found that they did not understand the true financial costs at stake before getting into treatment. The majority (81%) considered stopping, while 39% only went through two of the three cycles needed for full treatment, with financial pressure being the top cited reason (32%).
In addition, 62% found fertility treatment just as, if not more stressful than losing their job and 50% thought it was just as stressful as the bereavement of a close loved one.
Caroline Noublanche, founder and chief executive officer of Apricity, said: “With the private sector taking up the vast majority of the UK fertility market and the NHS under massive strain, more people are looking to their employers to step up and support them on their fertility journey both financially and with flexible working.
“This is currently much more common in the US, where 81% of the best workplaces are providing reimbursement for fertility treatments compared to just 17% already in place in the UK. If more employers supported the process and more clinics used new technology solutions, we’d be able to collectively better manage the process and reduce the stigma.”