IVF & Work

[SnottyCow]

Hi Ladies

Every time I meet a new Mum embarking on IVF I find they are terrified about how it will effect work. Should they tell their boss, how will all the appointment and the drugs affect them at work.

It’s not always easy. Some people have wonderful colleagues and understanding bosses but others have cut throat environments which can sometimes be quite sexist. No one wants to tell their boss they’re trying to have a baby do they? But that’s essentially sometimes what we have to do when we’re dojng IVF. We are protected from any sort of discrimination so should be allowed appointments and related sick days without having to worry about our jobs. They’re are laws.

So if you do get to a point where you feel you have to tell your boss about IVF then I just wanted to share with you all some advice I wish someone had given me. Make sure you have Legal Cover on your Home Insurance Policies for Industrial Tribunal action. I know that sounds severe but if you ever found yourself, like I did, caught up in a redundancy process and feeling like your IVF might be a factor then this is the key to negotiating a much higher settlement than your company offer or depending on how angry you feel actually taking them to tribunal. From the moment you tell them if their behaviour changes towards you then keep a log of everything..... if you are later pushed out you can use that as evidence.

I hope this helps someone.

[AmbK]

Thank you so much, that was a very useful information! I guess the tribunal you're talking about is in the US - is it? I'll have to figure out a similar one that covers up for pregnant women in my country - just to keep myself updated in case I may need it. So far it's been smooth though, but I'm on my first IUI attempt and there might be a long fertility road ahead and who knows what's in store for future. I appreciate that you took time to write down a way out that you've learnt from your own ordeal with the intent to help someone trapped in a similar situation - that's benevolent.

[SnottyCow in reply to AmbK]

Hi and thank you. I’m in the UK the Industrial Tribunal is where you would go if you felt you’d be unfairly dismissed. Here we have the option to add ‘’Family Legal Cover’ to our home insurance policy however it’s not normally on there as standard although it only costs a few £’s a month extra. I’d recommend to anyone embarking on IVF and concerned about how this may effect them at work to add this. I’m not sure if there’s anything similar in your country, although I would have thought so, where are you?

[AmbK in reply to SnottyCow]

Thanks for mentioning in details!! I'm from the non-UK part of Ireland - Westport but we're not natives. Relocated here in August 2016 so not quite thorough with stuff in here. We're to stay for at least another 2 years in here for sure and actively TTC - so IVF could come up sometime soon. My DH is from EU though (Hungary).