Looking for “Proven” Ways to Boost Employee Retention?
Consider fertility benefits. With one in eight US couples experiencing infertility, failing to address it in the workplace can have wide-spread consequences.
Findings show that employees with access to fertility benefits are more positive and more dedicated to their employer. Contrary, a recent survey has found that 68 percent of employees interviewed would switch jobs if fertility benefits were offered.1 Surprisingly, more men than women were willing to switch jobs to secure fertility benefits.
That’s how essential reproductive benefits are to the workforce today. In fact, findings show that in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients who had fertility treatment covered by their employer reported a stronger sense of loyalty—and stayed in their positions longer.
Infertility Has No Boundaries
And it’s not just women who suffer. The National Health Statistics Report states one in eight U.S. couples experience infertility or about 7.4 million men and women. Fertility depends on male, female and both male and female factors. Among the infertility cases, 40 percent of cases are due to male factors, 40 percent of cases are due to female factors, 20 percent of cases are both female and male factors and unexplained factors in both genders. Fertility dramatically decreases after age 35. Along with couples who are infertile, the rate of women who are having their first child between 40 and 44 has more than doubled in the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is, in part, because more women are choosing higher education and upward career mobility instead of having a family in their twenties. The real problem with waiting to have children, is both the quality and quantity of a woman’s eggs decline sharply after age 35, making getting pregnant difficult or impossible without fertility assistance. Gay and lesbian couples and single women and men want to have families. Today, reproductive-benefits policies appeal to gay and lesbian couples and single men and women who want to use a surrogate, egg donor or sperm donor to have a baby.Who’s Paying the Bill?
While 60 percent of employers with more than 500 workers offer some type of fertility benefit, according to a Mercer L.L.C. November study, it can be limited to a consultation with a doctor. According to Mercer[1]:- 33 percent cover fertility drug therapy
- 24 percent cover in vitro fertilization (IVF)
- 23 percent cover artificial insemination
- 40 percent of employers don’t cover any fertility services at all
Employers Can Make Better Choices
WINFertility has been a leader in managing fertility benefits for more than two decades. WIN has covered millions of members and has compiled over 500,000,000 member months of data, the largest quality benchmark database in the industry. Benefits offered by WIN include:- Fertility Treatments (IUI and IVF)
- Genetic Testing, Egg Freezing and Surrogacy Benefits
- On-going 24/7 FertilityCoachSM Nurse Helpline
- Pharmacy Dosing Education, Self-Injection Guidance and Substantial Discounts (up to 40%)
- Unique Capability of Managing Employee Populations Across Multiple Health Plans
[1] Livingston, Shelby. Fertility Treatment Scares Off Employers. January 17, 2016. http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20160117/NEWS03/160119856/ [2] Employees with Infertility are Leaving. http://www.thewrightconsultants.com/2017/04/employees-with-infertility-are-leaving-how-these-11-companies-entice- them-to-stay. [Accessed July 9, 2017].
