The case of an immigration officer who was suspended from work for taking 12 days off for IVF treatment shows we haven't come as far as we might hope when it comes to attitudes to infertility.
Although more than 35,000 women have IVF in the UK every year, what they are entitled to in terms of time off is a grey area. Some employers still insist that infertility is a "lifestyle issue", despite the fact that many IVF patients have clear-cut medical problems. When I worked with Infertility Network UK on a survey on this issue, we found that some employers would not allow women to take sick leave if they felt unable to work during treatment. Around a third of women hadn't even told their employers they were having IVF, often fearing the consequences for their careers, and some of those we surveyed had faced discrimination at work after admitting they were having IVF.
This may present a bleak picture, but if you're having IVF and have an unsympathetic employer, you can always go to your GP as most are happy to give a medical certificate if you don't feel fit to go to work. More and more employers are now adopting a sympathetic attitude to IVF, and those who have allowed flexible working during treatment or paid leave find that the payback in terms of goodwill is more than worthwhile.
If you're interested in the arguments, I've written about this issue in this week's edition of Grazia magazine.
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