Motherhood is unique and beautiful, but when you experience fertility challenges as a professional woman, it can take a toll on your working life. How do you juggle hospital appointments, side effects, and the emotional rollercoaster whilst working? What happens to your career progression, performance, work-life balance, and well-being?
Having personally gone through fertility treatment whilst in a busy job, I’m delighted to chat with Fertility at Work Coach Emma Menzies as we discuss the best ways to navigate fertility treatment alongside a job.
In this episode, Emma shares her journey from employment law to fertility treatment, the challenges in managing these two essential aspects of her life, and the catalyst to her career transformation journey. She also dives deep into the impact of fertility treatment on your well-being, juggling between your appointments at work, sharing with your manager how employers can support employees undergoing treatment, and fertility treatment at work coping strategies.
Highlights From The Episode
[01:36] About Emma Menzies
[03:19] The impact of fertility treatment on your mental health and general well-being
[04:13] The inspiration behind Emma’s transition from employment law to being a Fertility at Work Coach
[08:02] Juggling between jobs and fertility treatments
[12:35] Should one tell their manager about their condition?
[14:42] The best way to tell your manager
[15:42] What to expect from your employer once you tell them, and the protections available
[20:05] Pregnancy or maternity discrimination and protection
[24:10] How employers can support employees going through a fertility journey or pregnancy loss
[27:07] Coping strategies for someone facing fertility treatment at work
[33:44] How coaching helps infertility treatment
[35:36] To connect with Emma
Notable Quotes
- “90% of people going through fertility treatment experience depression, and 42% are suicidal.”
- “ There is no certainty on a fertility journey or doing IVF treatments, and no two treatments are the same.”
- “There needs to be great flexibility, and a lack of judgment or assumption in dealing with people can be difficult and make fertility in the workplace difficult to manage.”
- “A lot of people want to feel heard, and I think it is such a taboo at the workplace.”
- “If you know what you need because you’ve been thinking about your self-care, then you’ve got an idea of what help you need to ask for.”
- “Someone else’s story is not your story, so try to resist Google because their stories are not your story, and your story will be different.”
Resources
To find out more about Emma and the support she can offer, please visit here:
Investing in Women is a leading UK job board helping you find your dream part-time, flexible or work-from-home job with the UK’s most family-friendly AND forward-thinking employers. Click here to find your dream job today.
Plus, get your free professional CV template and land an interview for your dream job here. Get ready to get hired!