Employment Law A-Z Leave Related to IVF and Fertility Treatment

L is for… Leave related to IVF and fertility treatment

Under the current legislation, there is no statutory right to time off for IVF appointments, as these do not currently fall under the remit of antenatal appointments. Case law has helped to establish principles that employees should generally be allowed time off, especially in the later stages of the process and should not be treated less favourably for such.

It may therefore be important for employers to establish a policy to set out procedures relating to IVF and fertility treatment. This could include for example, having thoughtful and considerate principles that help employees undergoing such treatment to feel supported and raising awareness, with sensitivity, to the experiences of those affected. Employers often treat such IVF appointments in the same manner as any other medical appointment, but applying flexibility in order to acknowledge the individual nature of IVF and fertility treatment.