HR 101: A brief history of fertility benefits

Welcome to HR 101. Class is now in session. Today’s discussion is all about fertility benefits.

The history. Fertility benefits, including IVF and egg-freezing coverage, as well as family planning, adoption, and surrogacy support, were rare as recently as 2015. Indeed, research from Mercer found that less than one-quarter (24%) of large employers (with more than 500 but fewer than 20,000 employees) covered IVF, and only 5% covered egg freezing.

Among the employers offering fertility benefits were Apple and Facebook, both of which announced coverage for egg freezing in 2014 as part of an effort to attract and retain more women employees.

According to the Mercer data, 19% of large employers offered eggfreezing benefits by 2020. Additionally, 42% of employers were offering IVF by that year.

Fertility benefits aren’t just a win for employees—they can also help employers recruit and retain talent. Some 65% of global workers who responded to a March 2023 survey by Carrot Fertility said they would switch jobs for fertility benefits, and 72% said they would stay with a company that offered such benefits longer.

Fast-forward. As the 2020s roll on, more employers are adding fertility benefits like IVF to their compensation packages. Four in 10 US employers—including AT&T, Amazon, and EY—offered fertility benefits in 2022, according to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, up from 30% in 2020.

While the current political landscape has cast a shadow over family planning benefits, some employers are doubling down on their decision to offer them, HR Brew previously reported. It’s no wonder why: When 63% of US employees agree that companies should offer fertility benefits, according to an HR Brew/Harris Poll survey, doing so might help employers attract talent.