How Might Employers Lessen the Financial Hit of Fertility Treatments?

According to the World Health Organization, around 1 in 6 people globally experience infertility — making fertility benefits a highly impactful addition to an employer’s total rewards package.

Why might such benefits be valued? A new report by Maven Clinic, a virtual healthcare resource for women and families, revealed three-fourths of more than 1,000 surveyed women experience financial strain when navigating fertility care options, with one-third spending more than $50,000 on their fertility journeys. Nearly half (46%) of respondents felt unprepared for the costs.

The Maven report also displayed that when employees receive fertility benefits:

• 81% report being more engaged and productive at work; and,
• 96% report they are more loyal to their employers.

“When employers choose to support employees with fertility benefits, there’s a remarkable impact, not only in the loyalty of those employees who feel seen, heard and taken care of, but also in the impact on talent attraction and retention,” said Isha Vij, the senior vice president of sales growth at Maven Clinic.

Research by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) found 42% of U.S. employers offered fertility benefits to their employees in 2024 — an increase from 30% in 2020. WorldatWork’s September 2024 Total Rewards Inventory of Programs & Practices showed 35% of participating employers offered fertility assistance benefits, up from 21% in 2020.

“These benefits are becoming table stakes as these companies do business,” Vij said. “Our HR teams tell us, most people knock on my door to complain about something, but [fertility benefits] is something people knock on my door to say, ‘Thank you.’”

A Range of Paths

Fertility support is wide-reaching, according to Vij.

“When you hear about an individual thinking about starting a family for the first time, or growing their family, what you think about is someone trying to conceive, get pregnant,” she said. “But natural conception is only one path — there are so many others that people turn to when they have issues, or if conception is not viable for everyone, such as with same-sex couples.”

Fertility benefits then can include everything from helping an individual understand their health, nutrition and stress in order to conceive with as little interference as possible, to intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), egg-freezing, donor eggs, adoption and surrogacy. Benefits also can include support for the partner of someone trying to conceive.

“These are very emotional journeys. People suffer pretty silently around this,” Vij said. “They often go through tons of financial strain when navigating fertility, as well. It can be incredibly private and lead individuals to feel isolated and alone.”

The financial costs can force some workers to postpone various life goals. Maven’s research found 83% of polled women had to cut back on expenses, with 52% saying they had to use their savings meant for retirement, buying a home or other purposes to afford fertility care.

More employers are offering benefits to cover a range of fertility care options. The table below displays data from IFEBP’s most recent study on such benefits.

Why and How to Consider Implementing These Benefits

Offering these benefits may not only serve the needs of a percentage of your workforce, but it also may make strong business sense.

“The benefits you offer can have a profound impact on your ability to attract and retain talent amid the highly competitive business landscape. Less common benefits that are innovative and personalized, like fertility benefits, can make a big difference in your human capital strategy,” said Rita Meyerson, a principal researcher for human capital at The Conference Board. “Fertility benefits can be especially important as companies ramp up attracting Gen Z, who will make up 30% of the workforce by the end of 2025.”

Maven’s research revealed:

• 69% of survey respondents have taken, considered or might take a new job for better reproductive and family benefits.
• A staggering 91% said fertility challenges impacted their mental health.
• 44% turned down promotions, raises or new job opportunities due to fertility treatment schedules or concerns about future family planning.

“When I was trying to conceive, it lived at the back of my mind constantly,” Vij said. “Knowledge is power for people — if you can get your questions answered, and feel seen and heard and understood as you’re navigating the process, you can be more focused at work.”

To incorporate fertility benefits into your total rewards package, Meyerson advised organizations to start by securing employee buy-in. To get there:

• Solicit feedback and refine options as needed.
• Create an integrated change management and communication strategy to introduce the benefits and tie the choices to business strategy and culture.
• Regularly audit programs to ensure accessibility to all employees.

“Through comprehensive analysis of employee feedback and benefits utilization patterns, total rewards leaders can identify the benefits their workforce values most and adjust offerings accordingly,” Meyerson said. “This not only optimizes benefits utilization but ensures that the company remains competitive in attracting and retaining talent.”

There’s no time like the present to make progress in this area, added Vij.

“Don’t feel like you’re behind,” she said. “This feels like a [complex] topic, but [external resources and partners] can help make it very simple. Even small steps in the right direction can be incredibly meaningful for employees.”

Editor’s Note: Additional Content

For more information and resources related to this article, see the pages below, which offer quick access to all WorldatWork content on these topics:

• Employee Benefits
• Well-Being