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During Prime Minister’s Questions last week, Nickie Aiken MP asked the Prime Minister to support the Fertility Workplace Pledge, launched in November 2023.
With the use of fertility treatment on the rise, employers are likely to see an increase in requests from staff for workplace flexibility and adjustments when it comes to treatment and care. The Fertility Workplace Pledge is seen as part of a wider and growing workplace trend towards greater flexibility and more generous family-friendly policies.
The Pledge aims to provide a simple framework and voluntary set of commitments which support employees going through fertility treatment. The commitments are:
- to implement an accessible workplace fertility policy, and in so doing to recognise the impact of fertility issues and help create an open culture free from stigma;
- to establish a fertility ambassador for the purposes of raising awareness and encouraging the use of available support;
- to provide family-friendly support which is inclusive of those trying to build a family, including training line managers; and
- to provide staff with the right to request flexible working and reasonable working adjustments to allow employees to attend fertility treatment appointments and to cope with the impact of treatment.
In tandem with the Pledge, Ms Aiken has also presented the Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) Bill before parliament which, if enacted, would give employees the right to take time off for fertility treatment.
Apparently almost 50 employers in the UK have already signed up the Pledge, including some large well-known brands such as Nationwide, Aldi, Unilever. Notably, even the House of Commons has joined in, and Kingsley Napley has also signed the pledge, showcasing the firm's dedication to the cause.
There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to implementing a fertility policy, and each business will need to consider its own needs and constraints when formulating a policy.
However, some key tenets of a good policy include allowing for flexibility in working patterns and styles where possible and providing adequate and meaningful training to management staff to empower them to support their colleagues going through fertility treatment. Employers might also want to provide for paid leave for treatment and care.
further information
Contact Daniel Zona in our employment team if you are interested in creating a workplace fertility policy.
about the author
Daniel Zona is an Associate in the Employment team. Daniel enjoys a broad and busy employment law practice, acting for employers and individuals on both contentious and non-contentious matters. Daniel has acted for clients in a wide range of industries and sectors, with particular experience of acting for those in regulated and professional spheres, including financial services, healthcare and legal.
We welcome views and opinions about the issues raised in this blog. Should you require specific advice in relation to personal circumstances, please use the form on the contact page.
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