Shoosmiths advised Fertility Matters at Work on a new workplace programme
Fertility Matters at Work launched its workplace education and policy programme to raise awareness of fertility issues and their impact in the workplace, supporting organisations in becoming “fertility friendly” – a topic that relates to mental health, workplace wellness, and women’s reproductive health.
Fertility Matters at Work is a new Community Interest Company specialising in fertility workplace education, set up by three founders each with their own individual fertility experience. Their personal insights are complemented by more than 30 years of experience as HR professionals alongside the founder of the UK’s longest-running fertility education podcast The Fertility Podcast. Their mission is to break down barriers and taboos on a subject that is often difficult to discuss for both employees and employers.
They have collaborated on the Fertility at Work project to provide a broad range of fertility support and benefits to complement their training and policy offering. They partnered with Fertility Circle, an app which provides the very expert support, information, and community for anyone experiencing fertility issues; Hertility Health, offering at-home fertility and menopause testing and treatment for employees; and UK law firm Shoosmiths, assisting on the legal and advisory aspects of the project by employment law specialists.
The new educational e-learning and training programme guides participants on what fertility treatment is, how common it is, the patient journey, the impact from a physical, emotional and financial perspective, how employers can encourage disclosure, why it is important to recognise fertility treatment as part of the workplace, how to hold constructive conversations, and how workplaces can become more fertility friendly. Fertility Matters at Work also offers bespoke training and policy development consultancy, with research-based insights and practical recommendations to support organisations attracting and retaining talent in becoming one of the first “fertility
friendly” employers.
Helen Burgess, employment partner at Shoosmiths, said:
“You may be tempted to think ‘not another e-learning tool’ – but this isn’t a standard e-learning package. A great deal of time and effort makes it informative, accessible and engaging. The taboo around fertility in the workplace needs to be broken, and managers and employees need to have this firmly on their radars and know how to deal with the issue – whether they’re going through fertility challenges personally or are managing people who are.”
