Two-thirds (67%) of employers do not currently have a fertility treatment policy in place, according to research by charity Pregnant Then Screwed.
Its survey of 260 HR managers also found that just 10% are happy with the support they offer to employees undergoing fertility treatment and 14% are satisfied with how they support employees facing pregnancy loss.
Just one in ten (10%) said they provide resources and training to line managers to help them manage reproductive health issues in the workplace, but 12% were not sure if their family-friendly policy includes inclusive language.
Almost half (46%) said their organisation enhances maternity pay for up to 6 months, but just 4% revealed their employer enhances maternity pay for up to 12 months.
In addition, 42% said they do not monitor the impact of a flexible-working or a hybrid policy at all, while 40% said they have had training for supporting teams in a hybrid-working world.
Joeli Brearley, chief executive officer and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said: “This research has shown the many gaps in policies in workplaces today that are penalising mothers. If [employers] do not have a policy in place to protect women when they are at their most vulnerable, then [they] are not properly supporting women at all. A lack of flexible working is bad for business and bad for inclusivity.
“Time and time again, research has shown that flexible working has many benefits, but if employers don’t track it then they can’t make impactful and data-driven decisions about where and when their employees work, and they are more likely to revert to less impactful conventional ways of working. We need to re-write the playbook, and that starts with policies and support systems that are breathed into the culture to protect staff in key life moments.”
