Time off for fertility treatment: A necessity, not a work perk

By Dr Mireia Galian, Medical Director at IVI London

In the lead up to International Women’s Day 2026, women’s health leaders, experts and insiders explore the critical challenges shaping the future of women’s health

In IVF treatment, timing is essential.

Before treatment begins, patients undergo an initial evaluation to assess the uterus and ovarian reserve.

This is done through a comprehensive ultrasound scan and hormonal tests to help plan the most appropriate treatment protocol.

Treatment itself starts with regular injections to stimulate the growth of multiple eggs simultaneously, rather than the single egg that would typically develop in a natural cycle.

Cycle progression is closely monitored with ultrasound scans and blood tests to track how these eggs grow and to determine the optimal time for them to be collected.

Eggs are collected in a single minimally invasive surgical procedure, known as egg retrieval or egg collection, which is precisely timed and carried out 36 hours after the final injection that induces their maturation and readiness for collection.

The eggs are then fertilised in the lab and incubated for a few days until embryos develop.

At this stage, a suitable embryo can be transferred into the womb to achieve a pregnancy. Therefore, one round of IVF often requires five to seven appointments, carefully timed to optimise egg development and collection, followed by embryo transfer during the window of implantation.

The window of implantation is the period of time when the uterus is receptive to an embryo and able to implant it successfully.

Missing or delaying any of these appointments can negatively impact the outcome of treatment and the chances of success.

In addition to its practical implications, the need to adhere to such precise timing can cause significant distress and anxiety, adding an emotional burden to the physical toll that IVF can take on many patients and couples.

In light of the precision IVF treatment requires, it seems illogical that fertility treatment is legally characterised as an elective procedure in the workplace (equivalent to plastic surgery).

Not only must patients work around the body’s schedule, but they must also cope with the added stress of negotiating time off from work – often at short notice and almost always without pay.

In fact, a recent survey by the Fertility Network found that over one-third of employees undergoing fertility treatment have seriously considered leaving their jobs at some point.

With concerns around global falling birth rates and ageing populations, countries like Japan, Italy, and France have legislated the right to time off work for fertility treatment.

Despite the UK’s own birth rates reaching a record low of 1.4 children per woman, and concerns that deaths may outnumber births in 2026, the Government has not supported calls for the same legislation here.

Fertility outcomes and birth rates are not the only factors influenced by women not having access to time off for fertility treatments such as IVF.

The recently published FTSE Women Leaders Review for 2025 found that, while the proportion of women on company boards was improving, the number of female FTSE 100 chief executives remained stagnant, still at only nine.

Barriers clearly persist for women in the workplace, who, without supportive time off for fertility treatment, may find themselves forced to choose between career advancement and starting a family.

Workplaces that want to better support women undergoing fertility treatment must consider offering more inclusive and flexible policies, while also fostering an open, safe, and supportive culture.

This approach would help ensure that women are not forced to choose between their careers and starting a family, allowing them to navigate infertility without suffering in silence or relying on sick days and unpaid leave – both of which can negatively impact career progression.

Most importantly, it would enable sensitive and fair conversations between managers and employees, reducing the risk of adding unnecessary emotional discomfort to an already challenging personal situation.

Luckily, upcoming advancements in reproductive science and technology may help reduce some of the difficulty of balancing work and fertility treatment.

For instance, a research team at McGill University has recently developed a light-triggered microneedle patch that could make IVF hormone delivery painless and automated – potentially reducing some of the time pressure on patients in the run-up to egg retrieval.

Additionally, the analytical power of AI can be harnessed in fertility treatment to provide personalised predictions and improve embryo selection tools, which could enhance treatment success rates, streamline decision-making, and reduce the need for additional treatments, ultimately shortening the time to pregnancy.

It remains early days for much of this research.

While it advances, the priority remains ensuring that people undergoing fertility treatment have access to a compassionate and understanding support network – one that can and should include their workplace.

In the absence of legislation mandating a right to time off for fertility treatment, employers should step up to fill the gap and ensure that no one struggling with infertility also has to struggle at work.