SAN FRANCISCO, June 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Carrot Fertility, the leading global fertility benefits provider for employers, today released a new report examining the effects of fertility and family forming in the workplace. The report, Fertility at Work, was developed in collaboration with RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association and surveyed over 1,000 respondents about the role of fertility and family forming in workforces, as well as the need for support as employees navigate the complex and emotional journey of family forming.
Across the board, data from the report paints a picture of the progress made in fertility care, conversations, and support — and the work still to be done by modern workplaces around the world. Just 12% of respondents have access to fertility or family-forming benefits at their current jobs, and of those, half do not feel that their company’s benefits are enough to cover all of their family-forming needs. Stigma around fertility and family forming in the workplace persists: 62% of respondents were more likely to share a dental or medical procedure or process in exact terms than a fertility procedure or process with their colleagues. And this lack of support and transparency is impacting people on deeper levels, with an astounding 89% of respondents who reported that the fertility and family-forming process has negatively impacted their mental health — and 88% who would consider changing jobs for fertility benefits.
“As conversations and knowledge about fertility and family formation continue to become more mainstream, the workplace is the last frontier,” said Tammy Sun, CEO and Co-founder of Carrot Fertility. “This report illuminates how critical high-quality, comprehensive fertility and family-forming care is for employees around the globe — and ultimately calls upon employers and business leaders to make investments into this essential part of healthcare.”
Additional findings of Carrot’s Fertility at Work report include:
- COVID-19 didn’t slow down family forming and, in some cases, accelerated it. Only 8% of respondents said that they are delaying parenthood due to COVID-19, while 10% decided to start fertility treatments because of the increased convenience of doing so while working from home.
- There has been progress bringing fertility conversations out in the open, but stigmas remain in the workplace. Individuals felt comfortable sharing their fertility journeys with family and friends, but over three fourths of respondents have never heard company leadership use terms such as “infertility,” “IVF,” or “miscarriage”. When asked why they would feel uncomfortable telling their boss about fertility treatments, 56% said that people don’t talk about fertility at work.
- People are aware of fertility benefits, but coverage is not inclusive of all paths to parenthood. For respondents that do receive fertility benefits, not all paths to parenthood are treated equally, with the majority of benefits covering fertility testing, IVF and IUI, while less than a quarter cover adoption fees and only 10% cover gestational carrier services.
- Fertility and family-forming support impacts productivity and influences career decisions. Nearly 60% of respondents shared that fertility and family forming has impacted their work performance, while 74% have spent time researching treatments at work. When asked about fertility benefits, 77% would stay at their company longer if they offered fertility benefits.
- People are willing to pay for fertility and family forming but there are lasting financial implications. Nearly 70% of people will dip into, if not drain, their savings or go into debt to have a family. Specifically, 32% of respondents said they would go into debt (take out a loan, borrow from family/friends, and/or use credit cards) to pay for fertility care that is outside of their benefits.
“Fertility and family forming are issues that impact people across genders, occupations, sexual orientations, geographies, races, and abilities,” said Barbara Collura, President and CEO of RESOLVE. “While the pandemic has ushered in a newfound candor around issues of mental health, fertility and family forming remain off-limit topics, especially in the workplace. As this report shows, change is needed — and it’s up to everyone to push for better resources for all on the path to parenthood.”
The Fertility at Work survey was fielded by Carrot Fertility and RESOLVE via Momentive (formerly SurveyMonkey) from May 12 through May 30, 2021, among a sample of 1,061 respondents. Additional anecdotal responses were collected via social media. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of 3%.
To learn more about fertility and family forming today, view the full Fertility at Work report by visiting https://www.get-carrot.com/fertility-at-work.
About Carrot Fertility
Carrot Fertility is the leading global fertility benefits provider for employers, built to support employees through their entire fertility healthcare journey. Companies use Carrot to customize a fertility benefit that provides employees financial, medical, and emotional support as they pursue parenthood, reducing healthcare costs and resulting in better clinical outcomes. Carrot's clinically-managed program includes fertility preservation like egg and sperm freezing, in vitro fertilization (IVF), donor and gestational carrier services, and adoption; Carrot Rx®, a premium pharmacy experience, at significant savings; Carrot Pregnancy; and the Carrot Card®, a flexible fertility benefits debit card employees can use to pay for their care. Carrot supports companies in more than 55 countries across North America, Asia, Europe, South America, and the Middle East.
About RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
Established in 1974, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association is a non-profit organization with the only established, nationwide network mandated to promote reproductive health and to ensure equal access to all family building options for men and women experiencing infertility or other reproductive disorders. One in eight U.S. couples of childbearing age is diagnosed with infertility. RESOLVE addresses this public health issue by providing community to these women and men, connecting them with others who can help, empowering them to find resolution and giving voice to their demands for access to all family building options.
Media Contact:
LaunchSquad for Carrot Fertility
carrot@launchsquad.com
Margaret Ryan
Global Communications, Carrot Fertility
Margaret@get-carrot.com