According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 6.7 million women in the U.S. suffer from infertility, but many employers do not provide fertility benefits for their employees. This likely stems from infertility not being recognized by many as a true disease. Regardless of how the diagnosis is viewed though, a new employee survey is showing how providing fertility coverage is beneficial for employees and employers.
Come Recommended, a content marketing and public relations firm, surveyed 1,000 people who had experienced infertility and here’s what they found:
- 47% of people did not feel they could be open about their fertility struggles at work. This group felt less supported overall on the job.
- 30% had quit a job in the past in part because their employer did not allow them to easily get the fertility care they required.
- 27% were actively looking for new job opportunities due to lack of company support.
- 32% stayed at a job, even though they were unhappy, in order to take advantage of fertility benefits.
Other research has shown that the stress levels of women diagnosed with infertility are equivalent to those of people with cancer, AIDS, and heart disease. Infertility can be have a significant impact on people’s lives. Providing not only healthcare coverage for infertility, but also workplace support, can help employees and employers. Employees that feel more supported are likely to be more productive at work.
Fertility services are a highly valued benefit for many employees and often have a low financial impact on employers. It’s a win – win situation for everyone.