Researchers at the Danish National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA) are investigating, in a PhD project, how the work environment affects women undergoing fertility treatment. The study, funded by the Danish Working Environment Research Fund (Arbejdsmiljøforskningsfonden, AMFF), aims to map which psychological and physical factors at work are associated with an increased risk of long-term sick leave in this group.
Risk of sick leave during treatment
The PhD researcher leading the project emphasises that fertility treatment does not take place in isolation from working life: for many women, the treatment runs alongside their job. The central question is how fertility treatment affects working life and the risk of long-term sick leave, and which psychological and physical work factors play a role. The study also takes into account the women’s own experiences: what needs do they have, and what obstacles do they encounter at work? The aim is to gain insight into how workplaces can support women undergoing fertility treatment.
Part of research into life stages
The PhD project is the starting point for a broader NFA research programme on adapting work to the different life stages of employees. Other stages covered include the return to work after maternity and parental leave, the period with young children, menopause, and caring for an elderly, ill or psychologically vulnerable relative. The postdoctoral researcher leading this broader programme points out that few people retain the same physical and psychological capacity between the ages of 25 and 65. In her view, this means work should be adapted to the life stage employees are in.
Context
International research confirms that fertility treatment and work often clash. In a global study by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Fertility Matters at Work and This Can Happen, involving more than 3,600 employees and employers in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Poland and France, 67 percent of employees with fertility problems said their workplace offers no support to those undergoing treatment. Of those surveyed, 36 percent felt pressure from their employer to keep working during treatment or testing, and 39 percent had left their job during treatment or were considering doing so. Only 24 percent of employers acknowledge the financial side of fertility treatment and support employees with it.
For HSE professionals worldwide, this Danish initiative signals that fertility treatment is increasingly being recognised as an occupational health and safety issue, not just a medical or private matter. The international figures show that a lack of support at work can lead to staff turnover. Organisations that already develop policies allowing room for medical appointments, clear leave arrangements and guidance for managers can respond to this, while also contributing to a broader policy on sustainable employability that takes employees’ different life stages into account.
Source: Researchers study the work environment and fertility treatment among women, 13 October 2026
Additional research: international survey by Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Fertility Matters at Work and This Can Happen on fertility and work (published November 2025).
