Organizations Adding More Fertility and Adoption Support
Published August 28, 2024
42% of U.S. Employers Offering Fertility Benefits, 37% Offering Paid Adoption Leave
August 22, 2024 | Brookfield, Wisconsin—Fertility and family-planning benefits remain top of mind for many organizations as they evaluate benefit packages for the year ahead. The advantages of these benefits include attracting and retaining key talent; saving on health care costs; matching benefits to diversity, equity and inclusion goals; and simply supporting the overall well-being of their workforce.
The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans has been tracking fertility and family-forming benefits over the past eight years. According to the Foundation’s Employee Benefits Survey: 2024 Report, 42% of U.S. organizations currently offer fertility benefits.
Overall, organizations are increasing their fertility-related benefit offerings:
| Benefit Type | 2024 | 2022 | 2020 | 2018 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Overall Fertility Benefits
| 42% | 40% | 30% | n/a | n/a |
Fertility Medications | 32% | 28% | 24% | 14% | 8% |
| In Vitro Fertilization | 32% | 30% | 24% | 17% | 13% |
| Genetic Testing to Determine Issue | 19% | 16% | 12% | 11% | n/a |
| Non-IVF Treatments | 19% | 17% | 11% | 11% | 6% |
| Egg Harvesting/ Freezing Services | 16% | 14% | 10% | 6% | 2% |
“We’re continuing to see a steady increase in fertility and family-forming benefits because of its high value by talent regardless of gender identity or relationship status,” said Julie Stich, CEBS, Vice President of Content at the International Foundation. “Additionally, these benefits are a positive way to create a more inclusive workplace.”
For families looking to adopt, paid/unpaid leave and financial assistance are benefit offerings trending up over the past few years:
| Year | Offered Paid Adoption Leave | Offered Unpaid Adoption Leave | Offered Financial Assistance With Adoption |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 16% | 26% | 12% |
| 2016 | 19% | 24% | 17% |
| 2018 | 21% | 26% | 17% |
| 2020 | 27% | 25% | 17% |
| 2022 | 34% | 22% | 19% |
| 2024 | 37% | 26% | 20% |
“If an employee is struggling with infertility, adoption delays or the related expenses, their work may suffer in the form of productivity loss, absenteeism or presenteeism. Offering family-planning benefits can alleviate those stresses while supporting mental and financial well-being,” said Stich.
“The increasing number of plan sponsors offering family-forming benefits indicates that they are a highly-valued benefit by employees. They are also a valuable way for employers to build community and show their care and support for employees and their families, while offering a strong attraction and retention benefit.”
Employee Benefits Survey: 2024 Results is the ninth comprehensive benefits benchmarking survey conducted by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. The report covers pension and retirement benefits, health care benefits, voluntary benefits, work/life benefits and more.
The full report is available at www.ifebp.org/ebs2024
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The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans is the premier educational organization dedicated to providing the diverse employee benefits community with objective, solution-oriented education, research and information to ensure the health and financial security of plan beneficiaries worldwide. The Foundation has more than 31,000 multiemployer, corporate and public sector members representing over 25 million lives. For additional information, visit www.ifebp.org.
*Members of the media can obtain a copy of the report by contacting [email protected].