Supporting Fertility Patients at Work: The Fertility in the Workplace Clinic Pledge
Fertility in the Workplace, now delivered by The IVFN, continues its Clinic Pledge initiative in partnership with Bourn Hall – encouraging fertility clinics to better support patients managing treatment alongside their working lives.
For many people navigating fertility challenges, the workplace adds another layer of pressure. Appointments that are difficult to explain. Schedules that don’t bend. A medical journey that rarely fits neatly around professional responsibilities.
The Clinic Pledge was established to tackle this directly, asking fertility clinics to play a more active role in supporting their patients through the working side of treatment. Now that Fertility in the Workplace is delivered by The IVFN, the Clinic Pledge continues as a core part of the programme.
A CIPD (2023) survey found that 40% of employers don’t have a fertility policy and don’t plan to introduce one, leaving those impacted by this medical condition feeling unsupported, isolated and in fear of discrimination.
“"Our Fertility in the Workplace initiative already offers guidance and support to employers who are looking to understand more about fertility and improve workplace support and education for their staff, as well as providing free support to the one in six affected by infertility struggles, all of whom are of working age. Now we are proud to announce our initiative specifically for clinics and their patients. As a part of The IVFN, the UK’s leading fertility network, we can provide insights to clinics based on patient experiences and offer recommendations on how they can become more supportive of their own patients as they navigate their fertility journey alongside workplace commitments."”
Small changes in how clinics communicate can make treatment far easier to manage alongside work.
The Clinic Pledge asks fertility centres to:
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Raise awareness of Fertility in the Workplace support services by signposting patients to online resources containing tools and information to build their confidence in starting a conversation with employers.
There are also training resources for employers to use with their teams to better understand the impacts of infertility and treatment.
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Consider small operational changes, such as offering online appointments and a choice of communication methods to help patients work around their own workplace constraints.
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Demonstrate best practice by implementing a fertility policy in the clinic and subscribing to employer workplace support and education packages.
This includes recognition of the needs of staff members who may be experiencing their own fertility challenges in what can be a very triggering working environment.
In collaboration with Bourn Hall, a toolkit has been developed that includes templates as
starting points for clinics to develop bespoke fertility policies and workplace-focused
patient information.
“"We believe that a more flexible approach will benefit both patients and clinics. It will reduce stress, particularly for patients who have restrictive work patterns, such as teachers and shift workers, and improve patient experience and their ability to access treatment. We are delighted to pioneer this initiative and to share our experiences with others to promote best practice."”
“"We would welcome feedback from patients and their clinics about what works well. We are determined to create a lasting change in workplace culture to make it more supportive for those struggling with fertility challenges."”
If you have any thoughts or feedback on your own experiences or are looking for
1:1 support or guidance as an employee, please contact our team.
All feedback will be handled entirely anonymously unless otherwise agreed.
