Contact Fertility in the Workplace

I am the lead on our workplace initiative “Fertility in the workplace” for Fertility Network UK and my primary goal is to inform, educate and raise awareness, amongst employers and employees, of the impact on those who are facing a difficult journey to conceive and/or undergoing fertility treatments. Infertility is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a disease of the reproductive system and employees should be entitled to leave for treatments in line with any other medical condition. However, the stigma around fertility and the perceived impact that revealing this struggle may have on people's careers, often leaves people unwilling to disclose their treatments to employers and subsequently impacts staff retention. We also lobby for legislative change in the workplace, alongside the fertility workplace pledge. Like a lot of the team, I have been on my own fertility journey and want nothing more than to be able to help ensure the services provided by Fertility Network UK and FITW reach the people who need them most, when they need them most. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you think we may be able to help you - you are not alone.

Email: claire@fertilitynetworkuk.org
Tel: 07469183370

Anita has been on a personal journey with infertility spanning 10 years, and with mental illness. Following a diagnosis of endometriosis, Anita has gone on to have four rounds of IVF whilst managing a busy job in HR. When her second round of IVF resulted in an ectopic pregnancy, she was diagnosed with Complex PTSD following an inpatient stay at a mental health care facility after a deterioration in her mental health. She has since been raising awareness around infertility and mental health and is very passionate about breaking the stigma in the workplace, and open the conversation for others who may be struggling or feeling lonely. Anita is also a poet, an experienced learning and development professional with a background in occupational psychology, poet and enjoys creating the content for this page!

Email: anita@fertilitynetworkuk.org

Sarah joined the charity, Fertility Network UK, earlier this year. She has become part of the Fertility in the Workplace initiative following her own lived experience of infertility at work. Sarah was a full-time accountant and found it difficult to balance working life along with her gruelling journey of IVF. Sarah ended up leaving her job whilst going through treatment, which was a huge decision given the large IVF bills her and her partner were having to pay. Sarah is very passionate about her role, and often shares her own experiences to help support others and to highlight the importance of supporting colleagues going through fertility struggles. After years of invasive investigations, operations, and 4 rounds of IVF, Sarah and her partner are fortunate to have a daughter. She is now looking forward to seeing how the charity can have further impact on fertility in the workplace and help the millions of men and women who are forced down this path. Sarah also volunteers for Age UK and a local charity that hosts community lunches on Christmas Day and other key events, such as the Coronation, to support those who would normally spend key events alone.

Email: sarah.dixon@fertilitynetworkuk.org

Seema joined the charity, Fertility Network UK, earlier this year. She has become part of the Fertility in the Workplace initiative following her own lived experience of infertility at work. Seema was a full time Senior Brand Manager and found it difficult to balance working life along with the gruelling journey of IVF. She is very passionate about her role, and often shares her own experiences to help support others and help educate companies to better understand the fertility journey women go through, and the impact it has on them and the workplace. After years of invasive investigations and 9 rounds of IVF, Seema was fortunate to have a daughter. She is now looking forward to see how the charity can further have an impact on fertility in the workplace, and help the thousands of men and women who are forced down this path.

Email: Seema.Duggal@fertilitynetworkuk.org