International bank HSBC UK has announced that it will introduce free fertility checks as part of its UK employee healthcare plan from January 2025.
Announced during National Fertility Awareness Week (4-8 November), the aim of the checks is to give the bank’s employees an understanding of their fertility health and an opportunity to speak to a specialist. They are included as part of HSBC’s UK healthcare plan, which has standard and enhanced options, and is provided by Bupa and funded by the bank.
This is part of the bank’s new three-year partnership with charity Fertility Network UK, which will enable staff to access its enhanced resources, emotional support and practical guidance for navigating difficult pathways to parenthood.
It will also provide employees access to experts from fertility clinics across the country, support groups and educational materials tailored to individual needs, and workshops, webinars and events that offer practical tools and advice on managing the emotional and financial aspects of fertility and other parental journeys.
In order to raise awareness and advocacy across the organisation, the bank will aim to grow its fertility ambassador programme, with an ambition to increase membership from 40 to more than 100 ambassadors by 2025.
Rachel Montgomerie, head of human resources for HSBC UK, said: “We’ve built a thriving community leading awareness and education about fertility across HSBC UK, underpinned by supportive policies and actions. We’re stepping up efforts to break the taboo surrounding fertility and the path to parenthood, creating a more inclusive workplace that attracts top talent into HSBC and helps all our people to be at their very best. From supportive and flexible leave policies, to introducing fertility checks as part of our UK employee health benefits package, we’re serious about breaking the taboo surrounding fertility as part of our wider employee wellbeing strategy.”
HSBC UK currently offers fertility support in the form of 12 days of leave per year for fertility treatment, and an employee resource group that provides support across areas including IVF, surrogacy, adoption, baby loss, results and decisions during pregnancy, male infertility, and mental health. Last year, it signed the Fertility Workplace Pledge.
