Disclosing what you are going through
We understand that discussing fertility challenges with managers may be difficult for some staff. This can be for various reasons, ranging from the fear that confidentiality may be breached, that career prospects may be affected or that this would not be taken seriously. At LSE, we want to create an open and inclusive culture where staff feel comfortable sharing the challenges they are facing. Managers are expected to provide support and make reasonable adjustments where necessary.
If fertility issues, and the related investigations or treatment, are affecting your work or overall wellbeing, we encourage you to consider discussing this with your manager. If you feel uncomfortable approaching your manager directly, you may wish to speak with your HR partner or another trusted colleague who can provide support and help to facilitate discussions. Keep in mind that it’s entirely up to you how much you wish to disclose, and you should never feel pressured to share more than you are comfortable with. On the other hand, informing your manager can help them understand your situation and provide appropriate support.
Together, you can discuss your specific needs and agree on next steps, such as adjustments to your ways of working to help you balance work responsibilities with the demands of fertility treatments or investigations.
There are a wide range of flexible working options available. For further guidance, please refer to the Flexible Working Policy and Toolkit, which provides resources to promote effective and supportive work arrangements.
Support that you may wish to discuss with your manager
If your manager is aware of your situation, they can offer support in several ways. Below are some general considerations and things you may wish to discuss with your manager:
- Whilst it is recognised that, with fertility-related appointments, there may be multiple appointments often arranged with very little notice, as with other medical appointments, you should try to arrange these outside of normal working hours where possible. Where this is not possible, flexible working options (e.g. late/early working hours, working from home) should be considered.
- If you need to take sickness absence due to the side effects of fertility treatment, the usual provisions under the sickness absence procedure would apply.
- If you require additional time off, you might wish to discuss with your manager alternative leave arrangements, such as annual leave or other types of special leave (such as compassionate leave). In some circumstances, it might be appropriate to explore the option of unpaid leave.
- If your partner is going through fertility investigations and treatment, and you need time off to support them, annual leave would normally be used. However, you may wish to discuss and explore with your manager any flexible working options that would allow you to attend appointments. If your presence is required as part of the treatment process, this should be treated as a medical appointment.
- If you wish for other colleagues to be aware of your need for flexibility, your manager can help facilitate these discussions should you require this.