The period following the holidays and the start of a new year can be a time of reflection and planning. For individuals coping with infertility or pregnancy loss, it can also bring emotional challenges. Family-centered festivities from the holidays and conversations about children may linger, amplifying feelings of grief, isolation and frustration. These challenges, coupled with societal and workplace expectations, can leave employees feeling unsupported and impact their overall well-being and engagement.
Employers are in a unique position to address these needs by implementing family-forming benefits. These programs alleviate emotional burdens, enhance workplace inclusivity, improve employee retention and drive organizational success. With the new year serving as a time for fresh starts and setting priorities, it’s an ideal moment for employers to focus on creating a compassionate workplace culture through such benefits.
Building a Supportive Framework: Comprehensive Family-Forming Benefits
Supporting employees through infertility and pregnancy loss requires addressing both emotional and practical challenges. By offering mental health resources, comprehensive fertility coverage and fostering an inclusive workplace culture, employers can build a meaningful support system.
Providing access to mental health resources is essential. Employers can partner with therapists specializing in grief and infertility to provide tailored support. Facilitating workplace support groups or connecting employees to external networks offers a sense of community.
Financial and logistical barriers to family-building are another critical consideration. Employers can offer fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg freezing in their benefits packages. Flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or adjusted schedules, allow employees to prioritize health and family-building without sacrificing professional responsibilities.
Training managers to understand the emotional toll of infertility and pregnancy loss equips them to provide empathetic, confidential support. Normalizing conversations about fertility challenges through awareness campaigns reduces stigma and encourages employees to seek help.
The Benefits of Family-Forming Programs
Family-forming benefits provide significant advantages for employees and organizations, making them a vital part of modern talent management strategies.Access to mental health support, fertility treatments and flexible work options reduces stress and anxiety for employees, empowering them to focus on personal and professional responsibilities.
Tailored offerings that accommodate diverse family structures, such as LGBTQ+ employees and single parents, promote equity and signal that the organization values its workforce. This inclusiveness fosters a more welcoming and supportive workplace.
In today’s competitive job market, family-forming benefits attract top talent and reduce turnover by fostering loyalty. Research shows that 88% of employees would consider leaving their current job for one offering better fertility benefits, underscoring the importance of these programs.
Employees who feel supported are more focused and engaged. Addressing the emotional and financial stress of family-building challenges reduces absenteeism and creates a more stable, efficient workforce.
Organizations offering robust family-forming benefits are viewed as forward-thinking and compassionate, enhancing their reputation as desirable employers. These programs position companies as leaders in fostering an inclusive, empathetic environment.
Supporting Employees Following the Holidays
The period after the holidays can be particularly difficult for employees dealing with infertility or pregnancy loss. Employers can provide meaningful support by fostering empathy and tailoring resources to these challenges.
Promoting awareness of available resources is key. Employers can use internal communications or holiday wellness campaigns to remind employees about family-forming benefits and counseling services. Ensuring employees know where to turn for support alleviates feelings of isolation and uncertainty.
Flexibility during the holidays is equally important. Providing personal days, remote work or adjusted schedules allows employees to focus on well-being while navigating family-building challenges.
Inclusive workplace initiatives can further foster belonging. Hosting events that respect diverse experiences and offering family-neutral activities ensure no one feels excluded. Managers checking in with employees can provide an added layer of support, helping address specific needs with empathy and care. By prioritizing employee well-being in the new year, employers can transform a challenging period into one of understanding and care.
A Culture of Compassion and Care
Infertility and pregnancy loss are deeply personal struggles that can feel overwhelming, especially after a season centered on family and togetherness. By implementing comprehensive family-forming benefits and prioritizing employee well-being, organizations can ease emotional burdens while enhancing inclusivity and morale.
The new year presents an opportunity for employers to make a lasting impact. Recognizing these challenges and addressing them with compassion builds a workplace culture rooted in empathy, respect and understanding. This commitment not only supports employees in meaningful ways but also strengthens organizational success by fostering loyalty, retention and a thriving workforce.
David Adamson, MD, Founder and CEO, ARC Fertility, is a consulting reproductive endocrinologist and surgeon, Medical Director of Equal3 Fertility, Clinical Professor ACF at Stanford University, and Associate Clinical Professor at UCSF. He is Past President of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), AAGL (women’s surgery), the Committee on Reproductive Medicine for the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and several other major gynecological societies. He is Chair of the International Committee Monitoring ART (ICMART), President of the World Endometriosis Research Foundation (WERF) and ex officio Board member of the International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS). He is a member of many prestigious professional societies and has been a board member and advisor to government, industry, professional and patient organizations. He has over 300 peer-reviewed and other scientific/medical publications and has lectured extensively nationally and internationally on assisted reproductive technologies, endometriosis, reproductive surgery and infertility, standards of care, cost-effective outcomes, equity and access. Dr. Adamson led the committee that created The FIGO Fertility Toolbox and the organization that created the global Endometriosis Phenome and Biobanking Harmonization Project (EPHect), and he created the Endometriosis Fertility Index, all electronic tools used globally to improve health care for reproductive age women.
He is Founder, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Reproductive Care (ARC Fertility), the largest United States network fertility company. He has been recognized as one of the best 400 physicians for women in America and received the Outstanding Achievement in Medicine award from the Santa Clara County Medical Society, a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for contributions to the community, Distinguished Surgeon award from the Society of Reproductive Surgeons, Honorary Life Membership from the Canadian Association of Internes and Residents, the Barbara Eck Founders Award from RESOLVE, the national fertility consumer organization, several honorary memberships and professorships, and the ASRM Distinguished Service award for his outstanding achievements in advancing the practice of reproductive medicine. Dr. Adamson has been honored with the CEO of the Year Award by CEO Monthly.
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