Discover Fertifa

It’s clear to see that better employee benefits has a huge impact on higher retention rates. However, a discounted gym membership and basic medical care do not meet employee demand.

In recent years, many international law firms, including those in the magic circle, have seen over 25% associate turnover due to burnout, intense competition, and a lack of work-life balance. In response, these firms have enhanced their health insurance to include a wide range of fertility coverage and other reproductive health benefits, resulting in significant improvements in employee happiness, drive, and dedication.

This positive change is a significant step forward in workplace inclusivity by offering coverage and support for fertility treatments. It ensures that all employees, regardless of marital status, sexual orientation or whether they are a single parent, feel supported in pursuing both personal and professional goals.

What are fertility benefits?

Fertility and family-forming benefits are a type of employee benefit offered by some employers to support employees undergoing fertility treatments or alternate paths to parenthood. Offering access to fertility benefits helps a company stand out by demonstrating a genuine commitment to supporting employees both in and outside the workplace. These benefits can vary but typically they will include:

• Financial assistance with fertility treatments, including coverage for a broad range of procedures such as IVF, intrauterine insemination, sperm freezing, infertility investigations and other fertility services.  

• Infertility diagnosis and treatment, offering financial support towards testing and diagnosis to determine fertility issues and seek help if required.

• Counselling and mental health support by acknowledging of the emotional impact of fertility treatments and providing access to therapy sessions.

• Paid leave for fertility treatments, some employers offer paid time off for employees undergoing fertility treatments, allowing people to attend appointments and undergo procedures.

• Adoption and surrogacy support and navigational advice, offering emotional and logistical support to individuals pursuing adoption or surrogacy. This includes guidance through the process and provision of resources to help manage the emotional aspects.

These benefits are designed to help employees navigate the fertility treatment process and any challenges they may face by offering both financial and emotional support.

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Why are law firms offering fertility benefits?

With recruitment and retention being the top challenge for 60% of law firms, and nearly 78% of individuals citing fertility support and family-forming services as a key factor in job decisions, implementing fertility policies is not just a preference, it's essential.

The statistics are clear: law firms are increasingly prioritising support for employees facing fertility challenges. As a result, they’re seeing a positive impact on employee retention, with 72% of workers in the UK, across various sectors, saying that access to comprehensive fertility benefits would make them more likely to stay.

15 law firms with the best benefits

A&O Sherman

A&O Sherman says “We invest in you” when it comes to their employees, and this is certainly reflected in their benefits packages. Their inclusive fertility benefits include five days of paid leave for fertility treatments, additional time off for families with premature or neonatal care needs, personalised care plans, research and classes and financial support. They also support flexible and hybrid working, demonstrating trust and respect for their employees' ability to manage their time. This approach allows employees to navigate their fertility journey with greater ease and understanding.

Ashfords

Ashfords understand that balancing your personal and professional life can be challenging and they don’t shy away from talking about it. The firm states “we work to ensure that our reward package provides something to each and every individual and their changing needs". These aren’t just words for them, they show this understanding through their support for those facing fertility challenges. Just offering financial support for fertility treatments, a health cash plan to cover fertility expenses, and a wellbeing app for extended support. They also facilitate meaningful conversations around fertility through employee-led groups like the ‘Women’s Network’.

Ashurst

Ashurst offers a comprehensive range of reproductive healthcare benefits, demonstrating a strong commitment to the wellbeing of their employees that extends beyond their professional roles. Since partnering with FamilyCare, the firm has introduced leave entitlements for fertility challenges and pregnancy loss, along with support to ensure a smooth transition back to work following fertility or maternity leave.

Furthermore, Ashurst recognises that every family is unique and that individuals may take diverse paths to parenthood. This is reflected in their inclusive parental leave policies, which accommodate surrogacy, foster care, and kinship care. The firm has been transparent in its dedication to enhancing LGBTQ+ representation and actively supporting the community in various ways. One key aspect of this commitment is their focus on fertility support, recognising that many individuals in the LGBTQ+ community may explore different paths to parenthood

Clifford Chance

In recent years, Clifford Chance has significantly expanded its health insurance coverage to include inclusive fertility treatments and investigations up to £15,000, while also providing access to fertility support. As a member of the Magic Circle, it's vital for them to lead by example, setting a high standard in the industry. With a workplace happiness score at nearly 80%, it's clear that employees feel valued and supported. Knowing their employers genuinely care about their fertility journeys and family planning options empowers them to give more professionally in return.

Cooley Godward

Since 2021, Cooley Godward enhanced its fertility support by offering all UK-based employees a lifetime allowance of £45,000 for eligible fertility treatments, in addition to personalised fertility and family-forming care. This is a huge step forward in reproductive healthcare support and highlights not only the firms but also the industries commitment to their employees' overall wellbeing. It demonstrates an understanding that employees have lives outside of work that require support and guidance, especially something as emotionally and financially draining as fertility treatment, for them to reach their full professional potential at work.

🏆Crowell & Moring

Since partnering with Fertifa over a year ago, Crowell & Moring have been able to provide their employees with the highest quality fertility benefits, including fertility and family-planning advice, educational hubs and webinars, as well as personalised one-on-one support from our leading clinicians. Advice on adoption and surrogacy is also available as part of family planning, which promotes inclusion, especially for LGBTQ+ employees, ensuring no one faces barriers alone in their fertility journey. The firm has been recognised as one of the Best Law Firms for Women for the 13th consecutive year, and its dedication to offering top-tier fertility benefits plays a key role in maintaining this award.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, another Magic Circle firm, has expanded its employee health benefits to include enhanced fertility support. The firm now offers up to $60,000 in reimbursement for treatments like IVF, egg freezing and sperm freezing. They also provide surrogacy, adoption, and pregnancy support, recognising that each individual's fertility and reproductive journey is unique and requires personalised care. They are committed to 'creating an environment where everyone can thrive', their focus on fertility care is a significant step forward in this mission.

🏆Fried Frank

Since partnering with Fertifa, Fried Frank are able to go the extra mile, introducing a wide range of fertility-related employee benefits, including educational hubs and webinars, personalised one-to-one support with fertility experts and a reimbursement allowance. They also have access to family planning advice and guidance which offer support to those going through processes such as adoption and surrogacy, creating an inclusive workplace, especially for employees in the LGBTQ+ community.

Their commitment to employee well-being extends through various employee resource groups, including the Pride Alliance, which fosters understanding of the unique challenges facing the LGBTQ+ community; the Women’s Forum, which supports women in overcoming challenges and reaching their highest potential both professionally and personally; and the Working Families Forum, which assists employees balancing personal and family responsibilities. These forums foster open discussions on fertility-related issues, providing holistic support that addresses all aspects of their employees' lives.

🏆Foot Anstey LLP

In 2023, Foot Anstey joined the Fertifa family, developing comprehensive and impactful fertility benefits and policies. These include educational hubs, webinars, and personalised 1-2-1 fertility support and advice. The firm has been transparent about its commitment to increasing diversity and inclusion, which is reflected in its reproductive healthcare offerings, including family planning support, and guidance on adoption and surrogacy. They are dedicated to recruiting and retaining top talent from diverse backgrounds and life stages. Their commitment to employee wellbeing, both personally and professionally, through enhanced healthcare provisions will undoubtedly help support this mission.

Herbert Smith Freehills

As part of their Life@HSF initiative, Herbert Smith Freehills offers family-friendly policies, including compassionate leave for pregnancy loss and paid leave for fertility treatments and surrogacy, fostering a healthy work-life balance. They are another firm that prioritises employee needs by implementing flexible working, allowing employees to 'find space to recharge and room to grow’, which ultimately allows people to reach their highest potential both personally and professionally.

Linklaters

Linklaters recognises the emotional and physical challenges of fertility treatments and actively supports employees through their fertility benefits provider, offering flexible working arrangements, financial assistance to help with the cost of treatment, and enhanced educational resources. These efforts aim to establish a supportive work environment while reducing the stigma surrounding fertility issues. The firm won the Legal Services Happiest Workplace Award this year and its commitment to employee wellbeing through comprehensive benefits plays a huge role in this.

🏆Morrison & Foerster

As a member of the Legal 500, MoFo is attracting some of the industry’s top talent and retaining them through enhanced employee benefits, including their fertility and reproductive health offerings. Since partnering with Fertifa, Morrison & Foerster now provides best-in-class benefits, such as educational material, personalised 1-2-1 support, and a reimbursement allowance to help with the financial burden of treatment. As part of their fertility benefits, employees also have access to advice and guidance on alternative family-building options, ensuring that all employees feel supported and valued. Additionally, the firm has been awarded the Gold Standard Certification by the Women in Law Empowerment Forum, further reinforcing its commitment to helping women thrive without boundaries.

🏆Osborne Clarke LLP

Since joining the Fertifa family over a year ago, Osborne Clarke has provided employees with access to educational hubs, webinars, and personalised 1-2-1 support to help them navigate their fertility challenges. The firm recognises the wide range of employee needs and creates a working environment where fertility support is a given, not just a bonus. As part of their fertility benefits, employees also have access to advice on various family-forming methods, ensuring all individuals, regardless of marital status or sexual orientation, feel supported during their fertility journey. This is a significant step forward, not only for same-sex couples undergoing fertility treatment but also for other members of the LGBTQ+ community who require advice and guidance on alternative paths to parenthood.

Slaughter & May

Slaughter & May offers fertility support through their PMI scheme, along with other reproductive health resources and advice, to help employees navigate various reproductive health challenges at every stage of life. The firm states that ‘many of our people choose to spend their entire career with us,’ demonstrating that their commitment to employee well-being through comprehensive benefits, not just fertility support, attracts talent and motivates them to stay and drive success at the company.

🏆Weil, Gotshal & Manges

With Fertifa's support, Weil offers employees access to fertility and family-planning advice, educational hubs, personalised one-to-one support, a reimbursement allowance, and payment plans for fertility-related costs. The comprehensive fertility benefits available through Fertifa demonstrate the firm’s significant commitment to inclusivity and equality in the workplace. The firm also runs an initiative called ‘Weil Women’s Wisdom: Advice to Our Younger Selves,’ which allows female leaders to reflect on their personal and professional journeys and the lessons they've learned along the way. This further highlights their dedication to opening conversations around the more personal aspects of life, such as fertility issues and treatment, providing an environment where employees can discuss these matters if they choose.

Bolster your benefits package with Fertifa, the UK and Europe's most comprehensive reproductive healthcare benefits provider.

We'll help you provide your employees with:

• Clinical consultations with leading nurses and doctors
• Reimbursements, financing, and administration
• Network of leading clinics and partners throughout the UK and Europe
• At home testing and diagnostics
• Educational resources, webinars, and Q&A sessions

With 3.5 million people in the UK facing fertility challenges, it’s important to acknowledge that these issues aren’t going away anytime soon. However, without proper support for those affected, your employees might. Book a call with us today to take the first step in supporting your employees on their fertility journey.