To mark International Mother’s Day, we hosted a virtual roundtable discussion, where we talked about motherhood, fertility struggles, and the impact of Retail inMotion’s new fertility policy.
For those who are struggling with infertility or navigating their fertility journey, International Mother’s Day is bittersweet. Since we launched our fertility policy last month, the support we have received from employees who have either struggled with infertility or are going through the hardships of fertility has been overwhelming. At the beginning of our hour-long conversation, words like ‘regret’, ‘denial’, ‘vulnerability’, and ‘guilt’ were constantly mentioned but, by the end of our roundtable discussion, those words were replaced by ‘support’ and ‘appreciation’.
After sharing stories and exchanging thoughts, one thing was clear: everyone’s fertility journey is different and there is no one-size-fits-all answer to how long it takes to conceive or when and why infertility struggles begin.
Let’s have a look at some of the quotes shared in the virtual roundtable discussion:
I've never had these issues or had to think about it yet, but I think it's something on a woman's mind from a certain age and is amazing to know the support is there if ever it became a reality.
I am so proud to work for a company that recognises the fertility journey in this way. This kind of company support is something I feel a person would always remember; it is a massive support to people and helps to relieve some stress during such a difficult time.
It took me years to realise that something was wrong, that we could not do this naturally. Looking back, I think we should have shared our struggles and journey, so that more people can learn from this and maybe put the information and experiences to good use.
In order to best support employees who are navigating in vitro fertilization (IVF), we now have a fertility policy aimed at protecting and covering employees for time off, promotion and pay review opportunities, privacy and support – all regardless of the length of treatment.
Through this fertility policy, we seek to protect employees with fertility issues, regardless of their gender and family situation and provide comfort and protection for our female employees. The fertility policy is now available to all RiM employees.
If you are ready to consider introducing a fertility policy into your own company, we, at RiM, would like to support you. Please reach out to our HR Team for a copy of the RiM Fertility policy, which can be used as a guide or foundation.