For European Fertility Week 2026, the spotlight is on a theme that touches millions of professionals every day: Fertility at Work.

Around one in six people of reproductive age worldwide experience infertility at some point in their lives. Yet, despite how common reproductive health challenges are, workplace policies and statutory protections remain inconsistent, vague, or entirely absent across many organisations and countries.

Managing fertility care alongside a career often feels like holding down two demanding full-time jobs at once. The goal of this blog is to shed light on that hidden load, offer practical advice on navigating conversations with your employer, and explore what meaningful, compassionate workplace support looks like.

What Does Fertility Care Involve?

When we talk about fertility care, it encompasses a wide spectrum of medical pathways, both for people currently trying to conceive, and for people who are preserving their fertility for the future.

• Fertility treatments: Interventions such as ovulation induction (OI), intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilisation (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), third-party reproduction, and related reproductive surgeries. These procedures support individuals and couples struggling to conceive.
• Fertility preservation: Egg, sperm, or embryo freezing. This gives people the opportunity to keep their options open for trying to start a family later in life, or helps preserve fertility ahead of medical treatments or conditions that can affect reproductive health, such as endometriosis, PMOS (polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome), or chemotherapy.

None of these pathways are simple “one-off” appointments. They involve several steps, with tightly scheduled hormone injections, blood monitoring, scans, and procedures.

The Hidden Burden in the Workplace

Balancing fertility care with the responsibilities of your job creates significant day-to-day pressure.

First, there are the logistical hurdles. Monitoring scans and blood tests are strictly time-sensitive (as they are dictated by natural hormone surges or follicular development) meaning clinic visits often cannot be planned weeks ahead. These short-notice appointments regularly clash with meetings, commutes, and inflexible shift schedules.

Then come the physical and emotional tolls. Fertility medications can cause fatigue, mood changes, headaches, and physical bloating, while procedures like egg retrievals require physical recovery time. On top of this is the emotional strain of waiting for results, managing anxiety, or grieving unsuccessful cycles, all while having to maintain professional composure and deliver at work.

Finally, workplace culture often forces people to endure this in silence. Many fear that disclosing treatment could invite unconscious bias, leading to missed promotions, overlooked projects, or assumptions about their long-term commitment. Without statutory fertility leave, employees are frequently forced to use up their annual holiday allowance, take unpaid leave, or make up excuses to explain why they’re missing work. Left unaddressed, this ongoing strain can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, or employees feeling they have no choice but to leave their roles.

Navigating Conversations: Talking to Your Employer

First and foremost, remember: disclosing your fertility journey is entirely your choice. You have no legal or contractual obligation to share intimate medical details with your employer.

If you decide that opening up to your manager or HR team would help ease your logistical pressures, here are practical steps to protect your wellbeing and keep the discussion constructive:

• Check your existing workplace policies first: Before scheduling a chat, review your staff handbook or speak confidentially with HR. Look for clauses covering flexible working, medical appointments, private healthcare benefits, or existing fertility policies.
• Focus on practical solutions: You do not need to explain exactly what your treatment includes. Frame the conversation around operational solutions rather than details on the medical procedures. For instance: "Over the coming weeks, I have a few time-sensitive medical appointments that require short-notice morning visits. I’d like to agree on flexible working hours or work from home on those days so my core responsibilities remain covered."
• Set your personal boundaries in advance: Decide beforehand how much detail you feel comfortable sharing, and what you prefer to keep private. Setting clear boundaries ensures the meeting stays professional and comfortable for you.

What Truly Supportive Workplaces Look Like

Progressive organisations are increasingly recognising that reproductive health is a core pillar of employee wellbeing and talent retention. Meaningful, supportive policies may include:

• Dedicated paid fertility leave: Providing explicit, paid time off for fertility consultations, monitoring scans, surgical procedures, and physical recovery. Some companies even fund fertility preservation.
• Agile and flexible working: Normalising hybrid work and flexible core hours that readily accommodate appointments scheduled with short notice.
• Empathetic leadership and mental health resources: Training managers to handle conversations about fertility care with empathy and confidentiality, and providing comprehensive benefits that support personal and work-related issues, including specialised fertility counselling.

Final Thoughts

Building a family should never come at the expense of your career, and pursuing professional ambitions shouldn't mean sacrificing your reproductive choices.

If you’re navigating fertility care while working, remember that you don’t have to manage it alone. Be kind to yourself and make use of the support available to you.

For practical tips and expert guidance, explore our ‘At Work’ Conversation Guide to help you navigate workplace discussions about your fertility journey with greater confidence and clarity.