What is fertility leave and how do employers offer it?
No law in the UK gives your staff the right to time off for fertility treatment. Whether they get it, paid or unpaid, comes down to one thing: your policy. A single round of treatment can mean a dozen appointments at short notice, so staff without a policy end up burning annual leave or calling in sick. Here’s what fertility leave covers and how to build it well.
What is fertility leave?
Fertility leave is paid or unpaid time off to attend appointments linked to fertility treatment. That usually means consultations, scans, egg collection, embryo transfer and recovery. It can apply to the person having treatment and to their partner supporting them.
It sits separately from maternity, paternity or sick leave, which is exactly why a clear fertility policy matters. Without one, people fall back on annual leave or call in sick, and the whole thing stays hidden.
Is fertility leave a legal right in the UK?
No. There’s no statutory right to time off for fertility treatment, and ACAS advises employers to treat fertility appointments like any other medical appointment. A Private Member’s Bill is before Parliament that would create a legal right to paid time off for appointments, but it isn’t law yet. Until it is, the decision is yours, which is why a written policy protects both sides.
Is fertility leave paid in the UK?
Employers tend to use one of three models: fully paid leave, unpaid leave, or treating the time as sick leave. The third option causes problems. It uses up someone’s sick allowance, frames treatment as an illness, and can quietly affect bonuses or attendance records. Paid, ring-fenced leave is cleaner and kinder, and it signals that you take this seriously. Our look at supporting parenthood at work covers how family benefits fit alongside leave.
Does fertility leave cover non-birthing employees?
The best policies say yes. Early policies often cover only the person having treatment, but modern ones extend to partners for appointments, egg collection, embryo transfer and emotional support. That inclusivity matters for same-sex couples, surrogacy arrangements, donor conception and solo parents. If your policy only recognises one route to parenthood, it leaves people out when they most need support.
How can employers introduce a fertility leave policy?
Start with the essentials, then make them specific:
- Set a number of paid days and say clearly what the leave can be used for.
- Build in confidentiality, so people can disclose without it travelling.
- Give line managers short, practical guidance on how to respond.
- Keep the scope inclusive across IVF, IUI, egg freezing, surrogacy and donor conception.
Consult your own people and, where you can, a clinician when you draft it. A policy written with the people it affects lands better than one written at them.
What does a good fertility leave policy look like in practice?
Several UK employers have already done this well. Co-op gives all 60,000 staff flexible paid time off for treatment, covering partners and people using a surrogate. NatWest and PwC run their own paid fertility leave too, with cover for partners. What the best policies share is a generous paid allowance, partner inclusion, confidentiality and trained managers. It helps to communicate fertility benefits to employees clearly, so people know the support exists.
Building a fertility leave policy that works
A policy earns its keep when it comes with training, support and clinical access, not just a line in the handbook. Fertility in the Workplace, now delivered by The IVFN, brings all three together, with policy guidance, manager education and a direct route to specialists. Membership also includes a one-to-one consultation with a fertility nurse specialist, so your people can speak to a clinician within days. See what that looks like for your team through fertility benefits for employees.
