Blog > The Pros and Cons of Providing Egg Freezing as an Employee Benefit

The Pros and Cons of Providing Egg Freezing as an Employee Benefit

In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, HR teams are always on the lookout for new ways to make their company stand out to attract and retain top talent. One modern benefit that has attracted significant attention is egg freezing, which allows women to preserve their fertility by storing their eggs for future use. 

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Written by Apricity Team
An introduction to fertility benefits

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    When companies choose to offer fertility benefits, the most common service to offer is diagnostic testing paired with fertility treatments such as IVF and IUI. However, as these benefits become more widespread in the UK, companies are starting to supplement their packages with the option for egg freezing benefits.

    Medical vs. elective egg freezing benefits

    There are two very different ways to offer access to egg freezing benefits. The most common is to offer it for medical reasons. This means someone can get their eggs frozen if, for instance, they need treatment for severe endometriosis, or if they are due to have chemotherapy or gender affirming surgery. The other option is to offer elective egg freezing, where people can opt to freeze their eggs at any time, for any reason.

    Elective egg freezing benefits are not so common in the UK (yet), but because of that it represents a very attractive benefit to women who for whatever reason don’t wish to start a family yet, and preserve their fertility level until they choose whether to have children at a later date. So it gives companies who want to attract top female talent a clear and visible advantage over their competitors. 

    In this blog we study each pro and con of offering egg freezing benefits in detail to enable you to decide whether you would like to explore offering this service to your people.

    The pros

    1. Empowerment and choice: Offering egg freezing empowers women to take control of their reproductive futures. It allows them to delay parenthood without sacrificing career aspirations, giving them more freedom to plan their lives on their own terms.

    2. Attraction and retention of talent: Companies that provide egg freezing benefits can differentiate themselves in a competitive job market. This progressive benefit can attract a wider pool of candidates, particularly women who value family planning flexibility, and can enhance employee engagement and retention.

    3. Support for career development: Many women face the challenging decision of choosing between advancing their careers and starting a family. Egg freezing benefits can alleviate some of this pressure, allowing women to focus on their professional growth during the peak years of their career.

    4. Promotion of gender equality: By offering egg freezing, companies send a strong message about their commitment to gender equality. It highlights their support for women’s health and career progression, potentially leading to a more balanced and diverse workplace.

    5. Reduced stress and anxiety: Fertility and family building can be a source of significant stress for women. Knowing that they have the option to freeze their eggs can provide peace of mind, reducing anxiety related to fertility and family planning.

    The cons

    1. Cost: While some companies are happy and able to cover the expense of egg freezing expenses, it could represent a significant financial burden for others. The usage of egg freezing benefits for medical reasons is relatively low and is akin to using health insurance (which most companies have these days) for an illness. However, elective egg freezing maybe be much more widely used, and for this reason the companies that offer elective freezing with us at Apricity are those who have good remuneration packages, are very motivated to offer the best benefits package possible, or have a very high need to stand out against their competitors to attract top candidates.

    2. Ethical implications: Offering social egg freezing for the wrong reasons can make it look like companies are pressuring women to delay motherhood to align with career advancement, for the benefit of the company as well as the individual. This can be avoided with a carefully and compassionately worded fertility policy and supporting materials.

    3. Limited accessibility: Not all employees will be able to use the benefit, including men, older women or those with certain medical conditions. If there are no equivalent benefits for other employees (such as sperm freezing, or the option for partners to use the egg freezing benefit), this may lead to feelings of inequality within the workforce. 

    Egg freezing as a benefit is a powerful tool that, when implemented thoughtfully, can differentiate your company, support the careers and family planning aspirations of your female employees, and contribute to a more equitable, inclusive workplace.

    Companies must weigh these pros and cons and consider the diverse needs of their workforce before choosing whether to offer egg freezing to their list of employee benefits. As with any benefit, clear communication and education about the process, risks, and realistic outcomes are essential to ensure that employees can make informed decisions about their reproductive futures.

    To discuss offering fertility benefits, including egg freezing, at your organisation, please book a call with a member of our team here.

    Written by Apricity Team

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    Written by our group of fertility experts and doctors consultants

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