Co-op has introduced a new policy which will see the retail group giving all staff the opportunity to take paid time off for fertility treatments.
In announcing the policy, Co-op’s chief executive, Shirine Khoury-Haq, revealed that she has gone through the process of fertility treatment and wants to create a supportive environment for her employees.
The policy will provide paid leave for staff to attend medical appointments while undergoing fertility treatment, including people using a surrogate. The time off will be flexible and unrestricted as treatments can be very unpredictable.
The measures extend to partners accompanying those going to appointments for fertility treatment, with paid leave for up to 10 appointments per cycle and for up to three cycles of fertility treatment.
Khoury-Haq said: “It is incredibly difficult to navigate through fertility treatment while balancing work and the wider impact it has on your life.
“Sadly, in some cases, there is also the need to manage the physical and emotional impact of failed cycles and even pregnancy loss.
“The decision to discuss this with your employer is an incredibly difficult and personal one. However, by creating a supportive environment companies can go a long way in opening the conversation with colleagues and easing the stress that people in this situation often feel.
“Having gone through all of this myself, I felt very lucky to be in a supportive professional environment; however, this isn’t always the case for so many people. I feel very proud that the Co-op is leading the way on launching a fertility policy and supporting our colleagues at a time when they need it most.”
Caroline Nokes MP, chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee, added: “I really welcome the Co-op’s leading response to fertility support for employees.
“We all recognise the pressures placed on families and individuals going through fertility treatment, and time off to support partners is such an important step forward. But crucially we still talk too little about these sorts of issues and I hope the Co-op is also able to create the inclusive and supportive environment that is so desperately needed.”
Co-op, which employs about 60,000 people, said that anyone can access the paid support and it does not matter how long they have worked at Co-op or how many hours they work.
The launch has been met with support from charities Fertility Matters at Work and Surrogacy UK who argue that there is a need for more inclusive and supportive professional environments.
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What are they going to sell off next to pay for woke policies like this?