Career setbacks cited in S'pore survey of people seeking fertility help

Yahoo

25-07-2025

SINGAPORE – Some 41 per cent of respondents who struggled to conceive said in a poll that fertility treatment affected their work, with 13 per cent saying they quit their jobs to undergo such treatment.
Top workplace challenges cited were seeking approval for time off (34 per cent), career progression setbacks (31 per cent) and getting their colleagues' understanding (15 per cent).
These findings come from a sensing poll in June by non-profit initiative Fertility Support Singapore, which surveyed 504 of its members – 80 per cent women and 20 per cent men – who have faced fertility struggles.
The poll aims to shed light on the workplace experiences of those facing infertility, defined as an inability to conceive after 12 months of trying. Results were released on July 25 at an event hosted by Fertility Support Singapore to mark World IVF Day.
The demand for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment in Singapore has grown, with more couples delaying marriage and childbirth, and seeking medical help to have a baby.
Giving a speech at the event, Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, called for more companies to provide fertility benefits such as paid time off and training for managers, so that employees can pursue both personal and work commitments.
'You have the power to create workplaces where employees feel seen, heard and supported, and where talent feel cherished and stand ready to give their all in return to support your business needs. That is a win-win outcome,' she said.
Ms Indranee, who assists in overseeing the National Population and Talent Division, including the marriage and parenthood portfolio, said the Government has provided 75 per cent co-funding for eligible couples to receive assisted reproduction technology treatments for up to three fresh and three frozen cycles at public healthcare institutions.
Fertility Support Singapore was started in 2020 by a group of women facing infertility, to advocate for better support for individuals navigating challenges here.
On July 25, the group launched a Workplace Fertility Support Guide to help companies better support employees.
The guide provides practical tools such as an e-mail template for those going through fertility treatments to raise the matter to bosses, the typical IVF timeline and medical leave required, and tips on how to talk to colleagues undergoing treatment.
The guide can be found at https://fertilitysupport.sg/infertility-in-the-workplace/
To understand the barriers to fertility support in the workplace, Fertility Support Singapore partnered with market research firm Milieu Insight to conduct a study in March with 400 Singaporeans aged 25 to 55.
The survey found public awareness to be lacking, with 62 per cent not knowing what fertility support is. Some 77 per cent of respondents perceive a trade-off between work and pursuing such treatments.
Nearly 60 per cent of people would be interested in joining a new employer that offers fertility benefits, results showed.
Only 27 per cent said their companies provided some form of fertility benefits, such as flexible work hours to attend appointments, and paid or unpaid leave for treatment.
Ms Rosalyn Wee and her husband sought help from a fertility specialist after a year of trying to conceive.
The educational therapist and project lead, who underwent IVF, did not tell her boss as she felt fertility treatments were personal. 'It doesn't really occur to you how painful emotionally and physically discomfiting it is, until you actually go through it,' she said.
Her first embryo transfer ended in failure. The news came while she was in an important meeting. 'That really broke me,' she said. She decided to open up to her bosses, who offered both paid and unpaid leave for treatment.
After taking 10 weeks of no-pay leave for another IVF cycle, Ms Wee successfully conceived in August 2023.
Another mum, Mrs Rafidah Jalil, 39, had just been promoted and was managing a team at a bank when she decided to start a family at 31. Her first IVF cycle was successful.
At 34, she tried IVF again but felt more stress due to greater work responsibilities and a lower egg count. But her bosses were supportive, and she could work flexibly, which helped her through the process.
She is now a proud mum of a seven-year-old son and four-year-old boy-girl twins.
Global healthcare company Merck, which sponsored the Fertility Support Singapore study, offers a lifetime cap of €100,000 (S$150,234) for fertility treatments, including IVF, elective egg freezing and male infertility treatments. Employees can get 90 per cent of their eligible fertility expenses reimbursed by the company.
Ms Pixie Yee, general manager of Merck Healthcare Malaysia and Singapore, said the company has seen 79 claims amounting to $160,000 since the benefit was introduced in March 2024. Merck has 429 employees in Singapore.
Ms Yee said she hopes to create a safe space where employees feel comfortable to tell their bosses about their fertility journey, to avoid any misunderstandings. 'Most people, when they have a very supportive manager, they will share,' she added.
Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction
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