Raising the topic of a fertility and family building benefit within your organization can feel daunting. Who should you talk to? How should you approach the conversation? Will your company care? And if you’ve started the conversation, how do you keep the momentum going?
Whether you’re just beginning to Google those acronyms you’ve heard from friends (hello IVF, TTC, IUI) or you’re years into your own family building journey, your voice matters. By speaking up, you’re not only advocating for yourself —you’re helping future colleagues who may one day face the same challenges.
No matter the size of your organization, you have the power to help create meaningful change.
Infertility by the numbers
Here are a few key facts that highlight why this conversation matters in every workplace:
- Infertility affects millions: Roughly 1 in 6 people worldwide experience infertility.
- Pregnancy loss remains prevalent: An estimated 10-20% of known pregnancies end in miscarriage.
- Cost is a major barrier: Among reproductive age women who reported needing fertility services at some point, 12% say they did not receive these services due to cost. On average, an IVF cycle in the U.S. costs over $20,000, including treatment and medication.
- Employee demand drives change: Around 64% of employers offering fertility coverage say they added it because employees asked for it.
- Fertility benefits influence career decisions: 45% of workers say fertility coverage is an important factor when considering a new job.
- Inclusive needs: About 63% of LGBTQ+ people planning families expect to use assisted reproductive technology, foster care, or adoption.
The bottom line? Fertility and family building challenges are present in every workplace, even if they’re not being openly discussed.
Set yourself up for success
Our Talk to HR campaign provides the tools you need to make the case for fertility and family building benefits at your organization. Start with these key steps — and remember, we’re here to help.
Step 1: Get the facts
Fertility benefits can be life-changing for those experiencing infertility. Too often, employers either don’t offer coverage or have plans that don’t truly meet employees’ needs.
Comprehensive fertility and family building benefits are good for employees and for business — supporting recruitment, retention, equity, and overall well-being.
Use our Fertility Coverage Worksheet to analyze your company’s current offerings:
- Who has access to the benefit, and what are the eligibility requirements?
- Is there a lifetime maximum or financial cap?
- Is fertility medication included?
- Can treatment be tailored to each patient, with access to options like genetic testing?
- Which fertility clinics are in-network, and how do employees access them?
- How does the current coverage (or lack of it) affect your colleagues?
Once you start fact-finding, it won’t take long to realize how prevalent this is within your organization. Infertility is more common than diabetes or depression — and, in many cases, plans stop coverage after a diagnosis, leaving families to navigate the rest on their own.
This coverage gap is one of the reasons people feel like navigating infertility and treatment is like taking on another full-time job.
Step 2: Find an internal sponsor
Once you have the facts, identify someone in your organization who can help open doors and champion your cause. You’ll want to bring your findings to the people who can actually change your benefits plan.
It’s important to understand your organization’s current priorities and to connect a comprehensive fertility program to broader business goals.
Consider these questions:
- Which HR or Total Rewards team owns benefit design?
- How are benefit decisions made?
- Is there a process for collecting employee feedback?
An internal sponsor — such as a mentor, manager, or employee resource group leader — can help you navigate company priorities, decision-making processes, and timing to make your proposal more likely to succeed.
Step 3: Build your tribe
Change is easier when you’re not doing it alone. Connect with colleagues across Human Resources, Operations, IT, Sales, Marketing — anyone who cares about this issue or has personal experience. Leverage their expertise in business along with personal experience to transform pain into purpose.
Together, you can combine business insights and lived experiences to make a stronger case for meaningful change.
Step 4: Turn UP the volume – the time is NOW!
There’s no better time than now to commit to being the change you want to see in your organization. Family building support is not just a benefit — it’s a necessity.
By raising your voice, you can help ensure everyone has the support they need to reach their family goals.
Ready to start?
Explore our Talk to HR page for more education, resources, and tools to help you prepare for the conversation about fertility and family building benefits at your workplace.
Let’s keep working toward a future where everyone has access to the family building support they deserve.