Cost of Silence – Addressing Absence and Disengagement

Fertility challenges affect more employees than many realise, but in most workplaces, they remain unspoken. For small and medium-sized businesses, this silence can lead to real and measurable consequences: reduced engagement, higher absenteeism, and increased staff turnover.

Our 1-hour online webinar, The Cost of Silence, is designed specifically for SMEs to explore the hidden impact of ignoring fertility support. We provide practical, low-cost strategies that can be implemented right away to build a more compassionate, loyal, and productive workplace. Whether you’re just beginning to explore this topic or looking to strengthen your existing approach, this session offers clear, actionable insights.

We begin by exploring the hidden costs of ignoring fertility support and how this oversight can impact employee wellbeing, productivity, and your business’s bottom line.

We’ll take you through the fertility journey from an employee’s perspective, highlighting ways you can offer meaningful support in the workplace without needing extensive resources or making major changes.

You’ll learn how proactive fertility support leads to higher retention rates, reduced unplanned absences, and significant cost savings. When employees feel supported, they’re more likely to stay, perform better, and be more engaged.

Finally, we focus on the tangible outcomes of implementing thoughtful, tailored policies. We look at how the right support can enhance retention, reduce absenteeism, and help attract top talent to your organisation.

Whether you’re a business owner, HR professional, or team manager, this webinar will help you understand the real cost of staying silent on fertility. You’ll leave with the tools and confidence to begin supporting your employees in ways that are sustainable, meaningful, and beneficial for your business.

Frequently asked questions around Cost of Silence Webinar

Why should I attend this – my employees don’t have any fertility struggles?

Studies have shown that 60% of employees who are experiencing fertility difficulties do not disclose this with their employer.  This means that they could be taking sick leave or holidays to cover the reason for their absence.  The toll that managing this and work can take on employees emotionally, financially and physically is significant.  Creating a positive fertility culture boosts loyalty, retention and productivity.

I’m not sure how to talk to my employees something so personal – how can this help?

We know exactly what you mean and that’s why we refer to fertility as the new ‘F’ word!  It’s really tricky to know what to say, how to say it and when is the right time.  As part of the webinar, we look at how to approach conversations, what and what not to say.  We also find that when managers have been on the webinar, they feel more informed which helps with the confidence to have such conversations.

Won’t supporting fertility treatment just lead to more maternity costs for our business?

This is something that many employers say to us but it’s worth noting that employees who don’t feel supported during their fertility treatment will often leave which leads to recruitment, onboarding and training costs which will exceed maternity costs.