<img src="https://ws.zoominfo.com/pixel/6169bf9791429100154fc0a2" width="1" height="1" style="display: none;">
Curious about how StrongDM works? 🤔 Learn more here!
Search
Close icon
Search bar icon

Infertility, Miscarriage, and the Workplace: Why Sick Time Isn’t Enough and How Companies Can Fix It

World Infertility Awareness Month takes place every June to raise awareness about infertility and the hardships that come with it. According to a new report from the World Health Organization, an estimated 1 in 6 people globally are affected by infertility. Yet, despite the prevalence of these issues, many workplaces still do not have adequate policies to support their employees during these times.

Sick Time Alone Doesn’t Cut It

Infertility and miscarriage are deeply personal and painful experiences that affect millions daily. Sick time, while helpful, isn't enough for individuals and families dealing with infertility and miscarriage. 

These experiences are not the same as a cold or flu, requiring much more than a few days off to recover. Instead, individuals need time to heal emotionally and physically, seek medical treatment, and process their grief.

Stigmas Compound Stress 

The stigma surrounding infertility and miscarriage often prevents individuals from speaking out about their experiences and seeking the support they need. In a workplace that lacks adequate compassionate leave policies, employees may feel pressured to hide their struggles and return to work before they are ready physically or emotionally.

Many women feel pressured to move on quickly—even women in the C-suite. Our Chief Marketing Officer, Michaline Todd, shared her experience with returning to work immediately following a loss:

"Having worked in male-dominated industries most of my career, there's often this pressure for women to feel as though they need to squelch all emotions about their loss and get back to work as fast as possible. At previous companies, I've personally experienced that. As much as I tried to convince employees that I'm okay with them taking the time they need—there was always the concern that the company culture would look down on it."

Financial Impact of Loss and Infertility

Experiencing a miscarriage and enduring infertility can be devastating for individuals and couples. While the emotional toll is immeasurable, there are also financial implications associated with pregnancy loss and infertility. According to Health, the average cost of care for a miscarriage in the United States ranges from $709 to $15,149. For some, it’s much more. Medical expenses, including diagnostic tests, consultations, and hospital procedures, can accumulate quickly. Moreover, additional costs may arise from genetic testing, counseling services, and potential fertility treatments.

The cost of infertility treatments can be substantial, posing a significant financial burden to individuals and couples. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the average cost of one in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle in the United States is approximately $12,000, and multiple cycles may be required.1 Additional expenses such as medications, diagnostic tests, and fertility preservation can further escalate the overall cost. 

By acknowledging the emotional and financial impact of miscarriages and infertility and providing supportive measures, companies can foster a more empathetic and understanding workplace.

How Can Employers Help?

Given the impact of infertility and pregnancy loss on employee well-being, companies can play a vital role in supporting their employees by designing benefits packages with these circumstances in mind. Companies should implement compassionate leave policies that provide adequate time off for physical and emotional recovery from pregnancy loss and infertility. 

Offering flexible work arrangements is another way to help ease the burden on employees. This helps them navigate treatments, procedures, and doctor visits without worrying about lost time or commuting hurdles. Flexible work arrangements also include the ability to work from home, adjust work hours, flex time, or take a temporary leave of absence. 

The most robust benefits packages also include insurance coverage for fertility treatments, access to resources, and education about fertility and family-building options. Offering employee assistance programs that include grief counseling, access to support groups, and resources on coping with loss can be invaluable.

Building a Culture of Support

Providing compassionate leave is a significant first step, but it isn’t always enough. Companies should also work to foster a culture of support and understanding for employees dealing with infertility and miscarriage. This may include offering access to counseling services and educating managers and employees about the realities of infertility and miscarriage. At a minimum, it means having candid conversations about the challenging issues our people face. 

Support at StrongDM

As a people-first organization, we have a responsibility to support our employees during times of hardship. StrongDM helps individuals experiencing infertility and loss of pregnancy through flexible schedules, a remote work model, one month of paid pregnancy loss leave for either parent and a people-first culture. 

Michaline said it best, “I'm so happy to be at StrongDM now, where our culture supports families through all their disparate journeys."

By implementing compassionate leave policies for individuals experiencing infertility and miscarriage, companies destigmatize infertility and loss and demonstrate a genuine commitment to the well-being of their workforce.

 


Sources

Tong, S., Kaur, A., Walker, S. P., & Bryant, V. J. (2005). Miscarriage: Rates, risk factors, and outcomes in a multi-ethnic community. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 45(6), 505-507.


About the Author

, Content Manager, Angela supports the marketing team by developing creative content that helps StrongDM tell its story in creative and authentic ways. Experienced in the advertising agency space and the consulting world, Angela spent her early career years serving as a client-facing writer and project manager for brands large and small. Her specialties range from brand development and strategic campaign planning to social media execution and long-form content production. Angela obtained her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Tulsa. She majored in Marketing and Management and completed minors in Advertising and Communications during her time at TU. To contact Angela, visit her on LinkedIn.

StrongDM logo
💙 this post?
Then get all that StrongDM goodness, right in your inbox.

You May Also Like

How an Innovation Culture Drives Technology Evolution at StrongDM
How an Innovation Culture Drives Technology Evolution at StrongDM
At StrongDM, innovation isn't just a buzzword; it's at the root of all of our product development and it guides our vision for delivering the most effective Zero Trust PAM solution on the market. And in our eyes, the concept of innovation is not about merely incrementally adding new features to our platform. Woven into the ethos of StrongDM is a desire to use our technology capabilities and collective insights to fix things that don’t work and improve things that could be better. We’re curious, and that curiosity fuels our technology development.
What K-Pop Taught Me About Building Innovative, Usable Software
What K-Pop Taught Me About Building Innovative, Usable Software
K-Pop, it turns out, is kind of like a great laboratory of what happens when you prioritize your audience. In a weird way, K-Pop bands are doing what technology companies should be doing - innovating with technology and giving users better, easier, more usable access to the things they need.
AWS re:Invent 2023 Recap
AWS re:Invent 2023 Recap: RDS for Db2, EKS Pod Identity & More
re:Invent 2023 was AWS’ 12th conference, and it did not disappoint. More than 50,000 of us descended onto Las Vegas for a week of learning, networking, and discussing all things cloud. The campus was insanely large, spanning most of the Las Vegas strip, so that meant we got our steps in! We had some fun along the way, as well, at the many social gatherings, parties and amazing musical experience re:Play.
The Power of Remote Work: Creating a More Inclusive Workplace
The Power of Remote Work: Creating a More Inclusive Workplace
It’s undeniable: remote work is a catalyst for positive change, bridging gaps, and creating a more equitable and interconnected world. The benefits of remote work are widespread and well-documented. Remote work reduces carbon emissions by minimizing commuting and office-related energy consumption, contributing to a greener and more sustainable planet. It also enables companies to tap into a global talent pool, fostering innovation and cross-cultural collaboration.
4 Things to Expect When Interviewing at StrongDM
4 Things to Expect When Interviewing at StrongDM
While some interview jitters are normal, we believe the interview process should be more exciting than nerve-racking. At StrongDM, we try to make interviewing a little less hair-pulling by focusing on genuine human connection. Because finding your dream role at the right company shouldn’t feel scary.