PwC to expand benefits offerings to include fertility leave

Fertility benefits are becoming increasingly commonplace in the world of work.

Research found that in the past year there has been an 8% growth in large employers and companies introducing or enhancing their family offerings, which includes fertility, adoption, and fostering.

Examples of companies that have done so this year are Cooley, Clifford Chance, Natwest and Centrica, which owns British Gas – and now professional services firm PwC is joining them by expanding its existing offerings.

A PwC UK board member and women’s health champion Marissa Thomas told a recent Wellbeing of Women webinar: “We are going to allow our staff from the beginning of July to take up to eight days off to invest in and focus on their fertility treatment – we have never had that before.”

This leave can be used for employees to attend appointments and consultations linked with their fertility treatment, according to the Mail on Sunday.

The paper also reported that PwC will provide two additional days to employees whose partners are going through fertility treatment so they can accompany them to these appointments.

PwC told the Mail: “'In response to feedback from our people, this policy will be put in place alongside additional support measures – like a new fertility support network – and building awareness within our firm about fertility.”PwC told the Mail: “'In response to feedback from our people, this policy will be put in place alongside additional support measures – like a new fertility support network – and building awareness within our firm about fertility.”

Currently PwC offers a range of health and wellbeing benefits aimed at supporting its employees. For example, the firm provides employees with access to Ginger’s mental wellbeing app, free gym membership, as well as a menopause toolkit and dedicated forums to support women suffering through that stage of life.

In terms of fertility and family benefits specifically, new parents working at PwC receive eight weeks of paid parental leave; this leave is also available to those who have adopted or fostered. In addition, employees are eligible for up to six weeks extra leave if they are the primary caregiver of a child they have adopted or was born via surrogate.

They also have family-building support policies that include an adoption and surrogacy reimbursement program – thereby enabling the policies to be inclusive of all families – as well as a fertility support program.