Ashley Evans: The Theme for National Fertility Awareness Week Is Fertility at Work
Ashley Evans, Infertility Advocacy Speaker at ACE Origins, shared on LinkedIn:
“Today, for National Fertility Awareness Week Fertility Unfiltered, the theme is Fertility at Work.
I can tell you now, fertility challenges don’t conveniently fit around your working hours. They don’t wait until the weekend or your annual leave.
They can mean:
- Appointments and scans at short notice.
- Time spent travelling to appointments.
- Trying to concentrate on work while your mind is somewhere else entirely.
- Feeling you have to make excuses for appointments because you’re not comfortable disclosing what’s happening.
And it’s not just the person physically undergoing treatment who is affected. Partners are navigating this too.
I know what it’s like to experience infertility while trying to carry on with everyday life. Work doesn’t stop because you’re struggling emotionally, waiting for results or facing another stage of treatment.
And sometimes, the hardest part isn’t just what you’re going through. It’s feeling that you have to keep it hidden.
Whilst I was managing the mental and physical load of fertility treatment, thankfully one thing I didn’t have to worry about was my manager or taking time off.
My organisation had a fertility policy which allowed me a set amount of paid leave for treatment.
I’ll also never forget one of the conversations I had with my manager, who told me that whilst he didn’t, and couldn’t, understand what I was going through, he was there if I wanted to talk.
I’m acutely aware that so many people aren’t afforded the same support.
Fertility inclusion in the workplace starts with understanding.
- Creating an environment where people feel safe enough to talk, but never pressured to disclose.
- Offering flexibility around appointments and treatment, including reasonable workplace policies.
- Equipping managers with the knowledge and confidence to have sensitive conversations.
- Recognising that fertility affects people of all genders, individuals and partners and those navigating different routes to parenthood.
- Using inclusive language and challenging assumptions.
- Understanding that someone can be physically present at work but emotionally struggling.
People need to feel comfortable accessing the support available to them.
We spend a huge part of our lives at work. Fertility challenges shouldn’t mean people have to compromise their health, wellbeing or careers.
A question for employers: If someone in your organisation was navigating fertility challenges tomorrow, would they know where to turn for support?”
Other articles featuring Ashley Evans on Fertility News.
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Nov 3, 2026, 17:37Michael Chapman: Having Played a Part in the Evolution of IVF Has Been an Extraordinary Chapter of My Career
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Nov 3, 2026, 17:36Sara Shikhman: Infertility Doesn’t Care How Hard You Work
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Nov 3, 2026, 17:32Kathiuska Kriedt: What the National Fertility Awareness Week Means to Me
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Nov 3, 2026, 17:31Saff Mitten: Grieving the Person You Were Before Infertility and IVF
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Nov 3, 2026, 17:29Rajeev Agarwal: All Reports Normal, Still Not Pregnant?
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Nov 3, 2026, 17:27When It Comes to RPL, More Treatment Does Not Always Mean Better Care – ESHRE SIG Reproductive Genetics
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Nov 3, 2026, 17:24Eva van Rooijen: As A Mother Thanks to IVF, I Used to Think I Understood the Struggle…
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Nov 3, 2026, 17:22What Would Work Look Like If People Didn’t Have to Choose Between Their Fertility Journey and Their Job? – ESHRE
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Nov 3, 2026, 17:19Expert Fertility Care, Closer to Home in Salisbury – Complete Fertility