The study estimates that UK employers who do not formally support staff undergoing fertility treatment could lose £217.3 million a year in sick leave, lost productivity and redundancies.
Companies without maternity leave pay £35,317 for each affected employee, compared with £388 for 10 days' paid leave with a clear fertility policy, says campaign group Fertility Matters at Work. rated.
“Employees currently do not have a legal right to take paid leave for fertility treatment,” said Alice Macdonald, the Labor MP for Norwich North, who will raise the findings in the 10 Minute Rules Bill in Parliament on Tuesday, in which she will put forward the introduction of a legal right to paid leave for fertility visits.
She added: “Changing the law is not only a moral imperative, but also an economic imperative. The current situation is bad for our society, bad for our economy and bad for people who want to start or grow their families and need additional medical support to do this.”
Fertility Matters at Work estimates that employers lose £53.8 million annually due to appointment sick leave, which is typically taken by 63% of employees undergoing fertility treatment and usually to hide the procedure, and up to £27.8 million in lost productivity, with 73% of employees undergoing fertility treatment saying their productivity has decreased. Meanwhile, employers pay an average of £30,614 to hire a replacement for an employee who quits due to lack of support, as happened with 6%; while the Treasury is losing £47.9 million due to unpaid furloughs and resignations.
The report estimates that providing 10 days of paid maternity leave costs £388 and is cheaper than providing five days' leave, which costs £434, due to the productivity gains from carefully planned absences.
Becky Kearns, CEO and co-founder of Fertility Matters at Work, said: “Most businesses choose the costly option without realizing it, and employees pay the price for lost careers and frozen opportunities.”
Nicole McCarley, who works in an administrative position at a private healthcare organization, took several sick days due to side effects from fertility drugs, including dizziness, hot sweats and double vision. As a result, she had two disciplinary hearings and received no assurances that she would not lose her job or take a pay cut, despite explaining her situation.
“The fear of losing my income and the opportunity to start a family was overwhelming. I was always so worried about whether my job would be secure and that if I lost it, my hopes and dreams for a family would disappear due to the loss of income. It also took a huge toll on my mental health,” she said.
She told her previous manager about her fertility treatments, who told her, “I don’t know what it is or how you want me to help.”
She said: “Deep down I was hoping someone would say, 'I know you're having a hard time finding time, find time and don't worry about work.'
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McCarley is now pregnant and said: “The protection I have now compared to what I had before is absolutely insane – I just can't believe it,” citing paid leave for appointments instead of having to use annual leave, being encouraged to take sick leave if she has symptoms, and compassionate treatment.
Laura* had six cycles ECOone of which led to a miscarriage. She said her mental health had been “severely affected”, including severe depression, anxiety, fatigue and insomnia. She now faces an absence review that could result in a formal warning, even though her miscarriage should have been treated as a pregnancy-related illness rather than counted as reasons for absence. “They won't accept it – I'm broken and I'd like to leave, but I can't calmly look for a new job,” she said.
Petra Wilton, director of policy at the Chartered Management Institute, said managers must create “an open, supportive culture where employees feel empowered to speak up and have access to flexibility without fear of stigma.” “Employers risk losing good people because they do not address a growing problem that affects more and more of our workforce every year,” she added.
A government spokesman said: “We have identified our top priorities for reforming employment laws around pay, which includes support for those juggling work and treatment.
“We are strengthening the right to flexible working in our Employment Rights Bill, which will make it easier for workers and employers to agree arrangements to support attending medical appointments, including for IVF.”
*Name has been changed
