P-576 The perspective of patients and company leaders regarding fertility support in the workplace in Portugal
Authors: De Oliveira Trigo B R , De Oliveira Trigo A , Folgado J , Lucas C 
Published: June 2023

Abstract

Study question
Do Portuguese workers have fertility-friendly policies or initiatives in the workplace to help and support them reconcile work with their reproductive struggles and choices?

Summary answer
Most workers are not receiving adequate support. There’s a need to educate Portuguese policymakers regarding reproductive struggles and the possible benefits of implementing fertility-friendly policies.

What is known already
With the European population ageing and birth rates getting lower, many companies are adopting family-friendly policies to encourage staff retention (Chand & Markova, 2018; Chzen et al., 2019). However, literature regarding reproductive health support and fertility-friendly policies, to help those who are infertile and struggling to conceive whilst being employees is scarce. Legislated support specific to combining work and fertility treatment is necessary to reduce psychological distress (Seenan & Akker, 2018). No study was found by the authors about this issue in the Portuguese population.

Study design, size, duration
Study I explores if Portuguese workers receive fertility benefits from and feel supported by their employers, using an online 29-item questionnaire. The data collection started on 20th March 2022 and ended on 4th Sep 2022. Study II explores how employers support their Portuguese employees’ fertility plans. Both studies followed a cross-sectional design, using an online 12-item questionnaire. The data collection started on 1st April 2022 and ended on 18th May 2022.

Participants/materials, setting, methods
Study I has a sample of 107 Portuguese workers. The majority are above 35 years of age and have been trying to conceive for more than 24 months. Study II has a sample of 24 employers, including leaders, admin, and HR staff. The majority are working for a large company in a leadership position. Both questionnaires had multiple options, Likert-scale, and open-ended items. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 28.0.

Main results and the role of chance
Study I: All participants reported their company does not have fertility-friendly policies, 72.9% reported difficulties reconciling trying to conceive with work life, 56.1% perceived their attempts interfere with career progression, and 55.1% decided not to inform their superiors about their journey. People who are not offered benefits by their employer experience significantly higher anxiety, disclose less information to their superiors and consider quitting their job more frequently than those who are offered benefits by their company. However, they also experience significantly lower concern/worry, which may be due to increased awareness of fertility issues, pressure not to fail, unwanted interactions, and/or being treated differently.
Study II: 87.5% stated their company does not have fertility-related policies, 66.7% that theirs does not offer fertility-related support and 20.8% did not know whether theirs does. Leaders of medium/small companies report their companies to be significantly more flexible regarding schedules for consultations/exams and taking time off for mourning, and they also thought providing financial help for fertility preservation and fertility treatment to be more useful than leaders of large companies do. Respondents attribute moderate to high importance to the existence of fertility-related policies, but the data shows a lack of agreement regarding which benefits to offer.

Limitations, reasons for caution
Small sample sizes condition the extrapolation of the findings. Replications of the studies representative of different geographic areas and company types are required. Also, the association between organizational and individual benefits as outcomes of the implementation of fertility-friendly policies and initiatives in the Portuguese population is yet to be studied.

Wider implications of the findings
This is the first study that has tackled the issue of fertility-friendly policies and support initiatives in the workplace in the Portuguese context. We gathered data from both employers and employees, which allows the findings of the studies to provide a comprehensive view of the reality of this population.

Trial registration number
not applicable