45. 28. 17,000. Three numbers every benefits manager should know:
45% of employees have delayed or forgone other financial priorities due to healthcare costs.
28% have incurred debt to cover these expenses. (International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans)
$17,000 is the average cost of one IVF cycle—and most couples need multiple cycles, plus medications, before finding success. (Raises hand in solidarity.)
When companies are designing inclusive benefits packages, money should be part of the conversation at every level. Without comprehensive coverage, employees are forced into impossible choices: their financial future or their family dreams. They cash out retirement accounts, refinance homes, sell stock options—and the financial strain often spirals into emotional, professional, and physical stress.
More Than Money: The Weight of Silence
The tragedy isn’t just financial. It’s the silence.
During my own fertility journey, I struggled in isolation—too ashamed to ask HR about benefits for fear it would reveal my family planning. I sent private Slack messages, asked colleagues to “name drop” contacts, and scheduled Zoom calls so I wouldn’t have to type my requests.
I wanted to put a face to the conversation, but I also limited how much I shared, depending on the response. The fear of being exposed was heavy. And I wasn’t alone. Today, I still hear from colleagues across industries who describe the same: suffering financially, emotionally, and professionally in silence.
The Missing Piece: Advocacy
This is where workplace advocacy becomes critical. Employee advocates—people willing to share their stories and guide others through the benefits maze—can transform outcomes.
Harvard Business Review’s research shows that when employees understand and use their fertility benefits, satisfaction scores increase dramatically. The challenge isn’t always lack of benefits—it’s lack of awareness, clarity, and safe spaces to ask.
What I’ve Learned from Workshops
Leading fertility benefits workshops has taught me a simple truth: most employees don’t even know what they have. They’re sitting on goldmines of support without a map to find them.
The solution isn’t just better benefits. It’s better advocacy. It’s building cultures where employees feel safe to ask questions, share struggles, and support each other on their family-building journeys.
The Question for Leaders
I’ll leave you with this:
How is your organization helping employees navigate and maximize their benefits?
What role does peer advocacy play in your workplace?
Because in the end, offering fertility benefits is only half the work. Ensuring employees can actually use them—that’s where transformation happens.