‘I’m so glad I spoke up and contributed to progress in my workplace’

‘We got married in April 2016 and planned to start a family soon after. We had both forged our way through our careers to get to where we wanted to be and, although nothing in life is ever easy, everything we had planned and wanted to do had so far been a breeze. We naively thought this next stage in our life would be too.

Six months later, I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome – a common issue affecting as many as 1 in 10 women. A long two and a half years after that, we finally accepted we were having ‘issues’ and contacted our local fertility clinic to discuss our options. After various appointments and tests, we were advised IVF was our best option and, at that point, we took a year out, in order to save up enough money to pay for the treatment, as well as arrange the logistics of doing so.

Annual leave to cover initial appointments

Luckily, I had been quite open and honest with my close colleagues and manager in my workplace, especially after I had to use quite a large amount of my annual leave entitlement for the initial fertility appointments. There are many fertility clinics across the UK, and although it is relatively easy to find one locally, it can often still be an hour’s journey away, with opening times limited to usual 9-5 working hours.

When we were ready to start planning for our treatment, I asked my manager what I might be entitled to in terms of sick pay during our treatment. This is where things started to get a little bit tricky.

Not entitled to sick pay

There are no set recommendations for rest after fertility treatment, although most clinics suggest two to three days’ rest, with very limited physical activity, after both egg collection and embryo transfer. Because there are no set ‘rules’, I realised I would need to self-certificate and I would not be entitled to any sick pay unless I were to visit my GP and discuss with them the possibility of being ‘signed off’ as not fit for work.

No right to time off

I delved deeper into my workplace absence policy and was shocked to find that fertility treatments were mentioned – but were grouped with cosmetic surgery (which the policy deemed as ‘optional’)! The policy also afforded me no right to any time off whatsoever, apart from using annual leave – and as it was towards the end of the year I didn’t have enough left to take anyway.

I am not one to challenge authority, but this upset me so much, particularly the wording of it and only added further to my stress and anxieties about fertility treatment. I had to act and decided to write to the HR manager highlighting the plight of couples battling infertility, and how it can affect your work. I argued that fertility treatments, although a choice, were more of a necessity. Of course, cosmetic surgery may be a necessity in some circumstances too, but how can they be grouped together?

I didn’t expect any changes to be made in time for us as my treatment was only weeks away, but I wanted change for other people’s benefit; I dread to think how many people have suffered in silence. To my surprise, I had a response within a couple of hours, was thanked for raising the issue and asked for my input on a new forward-thinking and inclusive policy.

Fertility policy now in place

A specific ‘fertility’ policy is now in place allowing three days paid leave plus associated unpaid leave, without any negative impact on your attendance and disciplinary record. It covers those who wish to take time off to support their partner going through treatment and does not link fertility treatment with cosmetic surgery. The policy was even in place in time for my treatment. I feel there is still a long, long way to go with fertility and the workplace, but I’m so glad I spoke up and contributed to progress in my workplace.

Firms that have a fertility or ‘family friendly’ policy may help people to open up more and support those whose mental health is impacted heavily. It may just help to create a happier workforce and help with staff retention, after all happy staff are more likely to return to work after periods of leave such as for maternity/paternity.

Fertility Network believes a supportive workplace is good for business as well as employees. Our landmark Fertility in the Workplace initiative helps firms support staff in their fertility journey. If you would like to improve fertility support and understanding within your organisation, email anya@fertilitynetworkuk.org