You’re at work when your phone pings. It’s the fertility clinic with another appointment. As usual, it’s short notice because IVF rarely fits around working hours. Appointments change, timings move, and much of the process depends on how your body responds from day to day.
You know you need to go, but it isn’t easy to keep asking for time away from work.
You’ve already had several appointments this month, and it’s natural to worry about how it may be perceived – whether it’s adding pressure on colleagues, whether it looks like you’re less available, whether people really understand what IVF treatment involves.
And if you feel this way, you’re not alone. For many people, IVF is their best – or only – chance of starting a family, and the process is demanding in every sense.
The emotional strain, the physical side-effects, the constant scheduling around clinics – it all adds up, especially when you’re trying to keep up with deadlines, meetings, and everyday work responsibilities at the same time.
If you’re an employer reading this, we recognise the position you’re in too. You may want to support your employee, you may understand the importance of treatment, but you’re also trying to balance workloads, fairness across the team, and the day-to-day demands of running an organisation.
Without clear guidance, it’s easy to feel unsure about what’s reasonable, what’s required, and what’s best for everyone involved.
As an employment law solicitor at Magara Law, my colleagues and I see this situation from both sides. On the one hand, we have employees trying to manage treatment while protecting their job, and on the other, employers who genuinely want to support them but aren’t always sure what the law requires or what fair practice looks like.
IVF may be a medical process, but the strain it creates is felt in workplaces every day.
This is exactly why clear, practical guidance matters. And why this area of law – though currently limited – is attracting more attention, more pressure, and more calls for reform.
What follows is the legal position as it stands, the changes being pushed for, and what both employees and employers can do right now to handle IVF-related time off fairly, lawfully, and with compassion.
Current legal position in the UK
Under UK employment law, there is no specific statutory right to time off work (paid or unpaid) solely because an employee is undergoing fertility treatment.
This often surprises people. IVF is one of the most physically and emotionally demanding medical processes someone can go through, yet the law still treats it separately from pregnancy itself.
Guidance from Acas makes the position clear: “There’s no legal right to time off work for IVF treatment or related sickness.”
In practice, that leaves employees relying on:
- annual leave
- unpaid leave
- flexible working
- employer goodwill
However, once the embryo transfer stage of IVF has taken place and pregnancy begins, pregnancy and maternity protections apply in full, including the right to paid time off for antenatal appointments. But the treatment phase leading up to that point remains legally uncertain.
This ambiguity puts pressure on everyone involved. Employees feel exposed. Employers feel unsure of the boundaries. And misunderstandings can turn into disputes quickly, not because anyone is acting in bad faith, but because the rules themselves are limited.
“IVF time off work” is climbing up the workplace law agenda in the UK
Campaigners argue that fertility treatment leave has been neglected. For example, the campaign group Fertility Matters at Work has published a report based on a survey of 1,000 UK-based employees that found that 87% of the respondents undergoing fertility treatment reported anxiety or depression linked to the process and 38 % had left or considered leaving their jobs.
MPs are also sounding the alarm and proposing change. Labour MP Alice Macdonald introduced a Ten-Minute Rule Bill in November 2025 seeking a statutory right to paid leave for fertility treatment. Employers are increasingly recognising the business case.
Research indicates that lack of support for staff undergoing fertility treatment can lead to hidden costs via sick leave, resignations and lost productivity.
In short: while there is no current statutory entitlement (yet), both the political momentum and the practical business reasons for treating IVF time off seriously are stronger than ever.
What is changing / in motion?
The campaign from MPs, unions (for example GMB Union) and employer coalitions is pushing for a statutory right to paid fertility leave or time off.
Employers are increasingly signing up to voluntary “fertility workplace pledges” (for instance championed by MP Nickie Aiken) to adopt supportive fertility treatment policies.
The broader employment rights reform agenda means fertility leave is now on the radar of policymakers. While no law has yet changed, employers should monitor developments.
In summary, at present the law gives no guaranteed right to paid fertility treatment leave, but we are moving towards more recognition and likely future legislative change.
Practical steps for employers
Given the legal context and the risk of ill-prepared policies, employers should proactively consider how to support staff undergoing fertility treatment. Here are some recommended steps:
- Develop a clear fertility treatment leave policy.
- Define what your organisation offers: e.g., a set number of paid days off for fertility treatment, or paid time off for appointments plus unpaid leave for treatment, or flexible working.
- Clearly state how appointments will be handled: notice requirements, evidence (appointment card or clinic letter), how short-notice appointments will be managed.
- Link the policy to existing medical appointment, sickness absence and flexible working policies.
- Consider whether partners (if applicable) are covered.
- Ensure the policy wording emphasises confidentiality, non-discrimination, and flexibility.
- Train and educate managers about the impact of fertility treatment.
- Encourage a supportive culture: e.g., open communication.
- Review the policy periodically in light of legal developments and workplace trends.
A supportive approach strengthens trust and signals that your culture extends beyond box-ticking compliance. It also reduces the risk of accidental discrimination, inappropriate decision-making, or grievances arising from misunderstanding.
Employee guidance
If you are an employee undergoing fertility treatment, or about to begin, here are some key points to help you understand your rights and navigate the workplace.
1. Know your rights
- While you do not have an automatic statutory right to paid time off for IVF treatment, you do have rights in respect of medical appointments and pregnancy (once confirmed).
- If your treatment proves successful and you reach embryo transfer stage, from that point the law treats you as pregnant and you get full pregnancy/maternity protections.
- You are protected from discrimination if you are pregnant or on maternity/antenatal leave.
2. How to request time off
- Check your employment contract and your employer’s policy. See if there is a specific fertility-treatment leave policy or whether you must use annual leave / unpaid leave.
- Put your request in writing if possible so there is a record. Outline: the appointment or treatment, date/time, approximate duration, any recovery period, and what you will do to mitigate disruption (e.g., catch up on work, adjust hours).
- Give as much notice as possible. Clinics may schedule appointments at short notice but flag this to your employer. Acas guidance suggests giving as much notice as you can.
- Be open (if you feel comfortable) about the nature of the appointment but you are not obliged to disclose detailed medical information beyond what your employer reasonably requests.
- Ask about flexible working: switching start/finish times, working from home on appointment days, or making up time. Many employers will consider it.
3. Document your treatment and its impact
- Keep records of your clinic letters, appointment cards, treatment schedules and any side-effects or recovery time.
- If you miss work due to sickness from treatment, make sure you follow your employer’s sickness-absence policy (obtain a sick note if required).
- If you feel your employer is treating you unfairly (e.g., refusing reasonable time off, discriminatory comments), keep notes of what was said, when and by whom.
4. Understand risks and plan ahead
- Be aware that if your employer has a rigid policy (for example, no specific fertility-leave policy), you may be required to use annual leave, unpaid leave or standard medical/sick leave for treatment.
- Consider how you will manage multiple cycles or repeated treatment as you may need to negotiate a tailored arrangement with your employer.
5. If you meet resistance
- If you believe you are suffering detriment or discrimination because of fertility treatment or pregnancy, you may wish to seek legal advice.
- Approach HR or a trusted manager explaining your situation and referencing your contract, any relevant policy, and your rights under pregnancy/maternity/discrimination law.
- You may also consider external advice from organisations such as Working Families, which publishes guidance on rights at work for those undergoing fertility treatment.
What IVF exposes, for both employers and employees, is the gap between lived experience and the current law.
People are trying to do their jobs while going through one of the most stressful medical processes of their lives.
Employers are trying to run teams responsibly while being fair and compassionate.
Neither side benefits from uncertainty.
And that is where expert legal guidance can make the difference between a supportive, managed journey… and a damaging misstep that no one intended.
IVF time off work laws: A space to watch closely
While UK law currently does not grant an automatic right to paid time off for IVF treatment, the landscape is changing. With increasing political pressure, employer awareness, and workforce expectations, both employers and employees should act proactively rather than reactively.
Employers should not wait for legislation to catch up: implementing a clear, supportive fertility treatment policy is good for staff wellbeing, fairness and retention.
Employees should understand the limits of the current law, know how to make a request, document their treatment and be prepared to negotiate flexible arrangements.
Everyone involved should keep an eye on developments: once a statutory right is introduced, it will influence contract terms, policy templates and best practice.
Helping you handle IVF at work the right way – legally and humanly
Magara Law helps employers build policies and frameworks that genuinely support employees undergoing fertility treatment, while protecting the organisation from legal and operational risk.
We also help employees understand their rights, raise concerns safely, and navigate workplace treatment with confidence.
Whether you’re an employer unsure of what’s reasonable, an employee uncertain about how to approach your manager, or if you simply need clarity before problems arise, we’re here to help, with practical, human-centred employment law advice.
Book a confidential call with our team today or follow us on LinkedIn to keep track of employment law changes.