Welcome to Series 3 of The F Word at Work where we'd love your support and feedback so please do hit follow and if possible leave a review in the app you are listening to.

In this episode, we are joined by Caroline Noublanche, the CEO and co-founder of the world’s first virtual fertility set-up called Apricity discussing the evolving landscape of fertility benefits, their importance, implementation challenges, and innovative solutions to support employees through their fertility journey.

What we discussed:

• How Facebook was among the first to offer fertility benefits in 2014, followed by other tech giants like Google and Apple. Recently, companies in the UK, such as NatWest, Monzo, and Marks and Spencer, have also started offering these benefits.
• How FMAW’s work is to help organizations understand family-building challenges and support employees going through fertility treatments.
• Caroline explains the workings of fertility benefits explaining how they are compensation packages to support employees through their fertility journey.
• The workings of fertility benefits - how they can include health insurance coverage or cash allowances and are important for attracting and retaining talent, improving productivity, and promoting diversity and inclusion.
• How companies often inquire about the implementation, cost, and coverage of fertility benefits.
• The need to address misconceptions, such as the idea that offering egg-freezing benefits encourages women to prioritize their careers over family planning.
• How Apricity's virtual approach to fertility treatment minimizes disruption to a person's working day and providing constant support through its innovative technologies.
• How it can be both HR professionals who drive discussions around fertility benefits as well as employees with lived experience of fertility struggles who advocate for these benefits.
• The US is more advanced in offering fertility benefits, with about 40% of employers providing them. The UK is approximately three years behind but is gradually catching up, especially among large international companies.
• How organizations may be apprehensive about the cost of implementing fertility benefits, however, innovative approaches, such as utilization-based insurance and partnerships with insurance companies, can help alleviate financial burdens on employees.
• Fertility benefits extend beyond financial assistance. Virtual clinics like Apricity offer convenience, better outcomes, and reduced disruption to employees' lives, addressing physical, emotional, and financial aspects of fertility treatment.
• Both Fertility Matters at Work and Apricity offer educational workshops and resources to help organizations understand and implement fertility benefits effectively.

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