One in five workers who received fertility treatment left their job because of the ‘way they were treated’, study finds
- Researchers surveyed 2,000 people in Britain who had undergone fertility treatment
- 43% said they have encountered negative comments and attitudes from colleagues
One in five workers undergoing fertility treatment have left their jobs because of the way they were treated during the process, a report has found.
Researchers surveyed 2,000 people in Britain who had undergone fertility treatment, such as IVF, in the past five years.
They found that 43 percent said they encountered negative comments and attitudes from colleagues.
A fifth said they had left their job because of the way they were treated by their employer, while a further 33 percent said they were considering leaving their workplace.
The figures show that women are more often affected by men, especially women with a low income or single people.
Researchers surveyed 2,000 people in Britain who had undergone fertility treatment such as IVF in the past five years
Half of women – but only 8 percent of men – said they had kept it a secret from higher-ups.
The top three reasons why people kept their fertility treatment a secret were because it felt too personal, the fear that it wouldn’t work, and the fear of being judged or misunderstood by colleagues or managers.
As many as 83 percent believe it is important that workplaces provide the same support to those trying to have a child as they do to those who are expecting or already have a child.
The research, commissioned by Totaljobs, was carried out in partnership with the Fawcett Society, a women’s rights charity.
Jemima Olchawski, CEO of the Fawcett Society, said: “We believe in workplaces that work for all women, at every stage of our careers and lives.
‘This report shows unequivocally that women, and especially minority women, feel the impact of fertility treatments on their ability to progress at work, but that supportive workplaces can make a big difference by ensuring women don’t have to choose between their job and work. their desire to have children.
‘If half of women choose not to tell anyone at work that they are having fertility treatment, compared to just 8 per cent of men, as this report shows, it is clear that there is a significant gap in how in which men and women interact with each other. observed on the path to parenthood.’