Fertility treatments, egg freezing and IVF: A guide for NZ employers
Fertility treatments can be physically demanding, emotionally draining, and logistically complex for employees. The process often involves numerous medical appointments, procedures, and recovery periods that impact work schedules and wellbeing.
Fertility challenges are common in New Zealand, with 1 in 4 couples experiencing infertility. Each year, over 8,000 New Zealanders undergo some form of fertility treatment, with IVF being the most well-known but just one of several treatment options available.
Statutory entitlements
Unlike pregnancy or parental leave, there are no specific statutory leave entitlements for fertility treatments in New Zealand. Employees typically rely on:
Sick leave or annual leave: For appointments, treatment days, procedures, and recovery time
Unpaid leave: When other leave options are unavailable
Special leave: If included in employment agreements or workplace policies
Employers can also allow employees to use flexible work arrangements to adjust their work hours to accommodate fertility-related medical appointments.
Time commitment
Different fertility treatments require varying time commitments that employers should be aware of:
| Treatment type | Approximate duration | Key time requirements (on average) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial testing | 1-2 months | 3-6 appointments for consultations and diagnostic tests |
| Egg freezing | 2-4 weeks | 7-10 appointments including monitoring (5-7 morning visits) and egg retrieval procedure (full day off) |
| Intrauterine insemination (IUI) | 1-2 weeks per cycle | 3-5 appointments including monitoring and insemination procedure |
| In vitro fertilization (IVF) | 4-6 weeks per cycle | 10-14 appointments including monitoring, egg retrieval (full day), and embryo transfer (half day) |
| Frozen embryo transfer (FET) | 2-3 weeks | 3-5 appointments for monitoring and embryo transfer procedure |
Most monitoring appointments occur in the morning before standard work hours, but procedures often require half or full days off work, sometimes with additional recovery time.
Cost information
The financial burden of fertility treatments can be significant for employees:
Initial testing: $500-$2,000
IUI treatment: $1,500-$2,500 per cycle
IVF treatment: $11,000-$13,000 per complete cycle (as of 2017)
Egg freezing: $10,000-$12,000 for collection plus annual storage fees ($300-$500)
Embryo freezing and storage: Additional $1,000-$2,000 plus annual storage fees
Additional costs for medication: $1,000-$5,000, depending on treatment
While some treatments are eligible for public funding, many employees pay out-of-pocket for fertility treatments, creating financial stress alongside the emotional and physical demands of the process.
Best practices for employers
Flexible work arrangements
Flexible hours: Allow adjustment of work schedules around treatment appointments
Remote work options: Offer work-from-home days during treatment cycles
Reduced hours: Consider temporary part-time arrangements during intensive treatment periods
Leave policies
Fertility treatment leave: Some progressive employers offer dedicated paid leave for fertility treatments.
Extended sick leave: Consider additional sick leave allowances for employees undergoing fertility treatments.
Leave donation programmes: Allow colleagues to donate leave to those undergoing treatments.
Privacy and communication
Confidentiality: Ensure strict privacy around an employee's fertility journey.
Communication plans: Establish how and when the employee would like to be contacted if they are working flexibly while seeking treatment.
Documentation sensitivity: Minimise required medical documentation to respect privacy.
Supporting both aspiring parents
Remember that fertility journeys affect partners too:
Partner support: Consider leave options for partners attending key appointments
Partner's emotional wellbeing: Extend EAP services to family members of an employee undergoing fertility treatment
Failed treatments: Be sensitive to the impact of unsuccessful treatment cycles on both parents
Creating a supportive policy
Consider developing a specific fertility treatment policy that:
Outlines available leave options
Details flexible work arrangements
Establishes clear, respectful communication protocols
Provides information about EAP services and external support resources, such as Fertility New Zealand
Need a hand improving your policy or modelling the cost?
Gain our insights from creating the largest NZ database of verified parental leave policies, a growing number of which include provisions to support employees undergoing fertility treatments.
Now for the important legal part: The information we provide is general and not regulated financial advice for the purposes of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. Please seek independent legal, financial, tax or other advice in considering whether the content in this article is appropriate for your goals, situation or needs. The information in this article is current as at 19 May 2025.
Stephanie Pow
Founder & CEO of Crayon
