What is the question: Do employees have a right to time off for fertility treatment?
What is the risk/threat?
The Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) Bill is awaiting its second reading in the House of Commons and seeks to give employees the legal right to have time off from work for appointments related to fertility treatment.
However, until it becomes law employees do not have a right to time off for paid or unpaid fertility treatments like in vitro fertilisation (IVF), but such a person will be deemed to be pregnant from the point of implantation of fertilised ova thus giving rise to statutory rights like time off for antenatal and other pregnancy-protected rights.
What you need to do:
In anticipation of any potential change in the law, employers could (as a matter of good practice) look now to reviewing their policies and allowing employees time off for IVF or other fertility treatment .
For more advice on this issue or advice on any other HR, Health & Safety and Legal issues, call our advice line on 0116 274 9193!
