Employers, It’s Time to Talk About Infertility

Infertility is a common issue, and around one in six couples seek fertility treatment. Pregnancy and childbirth are highly visible in the workplace, whereas fertility challenges tend to be invisible and silent. Fertility treatments can be lengthy and have serious emotional, physical, and financial impacts on a woman and her partner. Many women choose not to share their infertility struggles out of concern that doing so will have negative effects on their careers, which prevents them from receiving support from their employers throughout the process. Business leaders who are serious about inclusion must be willing to discuss infertility openly and create policies to support employees in this phase of their family-planning journeys.