Corporate Perks? This is what you need to know if your Employers OFFER Egg Freezing
Big companies are offering Egg Freezing as one of their benefits and it got me thinking. Whilst it seems a a very bold and unique offer in a world where females are focussing more on financial stability and careers, is this a right move from big corporations to support women in this way ?
I have always said that I wish I knew more about fertility options and procedures like egg freezing in my 20s. Had I known about these options , I would have taken it . The benefits for men and women for freezing their sperm or eggs can offer some reassurance especially if the freezing of eggs and sperms comes before that person has to undergo chemotherapy for example. Certain treatments like chemotherapy may affect the rates of fertility in that person if they want to have children with their own gametes down the line.
The technology available in the field of fertility is huge and has made it possible for so many people to become parents. From surrogacy, egg or sperm donation or IVF treatments, the list is endless and the technology is only becoming more sophisticated.
What are the pros and cons of companies offering egg freezing for their employees? Specifically, men make millions of sperm each day. Our eggs have been with us since our mums were 5 months pregnant with us ( isn’t this a wow fact in itself ?!). For that reason , the quality of those eggs can decline and be subject to environmental and lifestyle changes hence affecting quality of eggs. Egg freezing before the age of 36 (ideally) , can retain (though not guarantee) quality of eggs which may or may not result in an embryo developing in to a pregnancy.
On one hand , egg freezing allows us to focus on ourselves- our life , career choices – whether we have a partner or not. It almost seems that egg freezing puts us in the driving seat as to when WE decide to become mothers ( providing you are taking precautions to not get pregnant naturally). Egg freezing can allow us to “bank” some good quality eggs in our 20s and 30s just in case we do not get pregnant naturally. It also allows us to explore the use of sperm donors if we want to become a mother but don’t have a partner or if ones feels they don’t need a man present in their life to have a child.
For the companies, it can help retain talented women who have drive and stamina to dedicate that period off their life to their employers. This is particularly important in high demanding industries such as law, tech and finance. Thoughts of having a family arrives at different times in ones life for everyone and may not arrive at all . Banking can take the pressure of making a decision about kids or not. “ If I freeze young, I have better quality eggs than I would at 40” for example.
Does Egg freezing enhance workplace gender equality? We know women can receive a lot of slack for taking time for maternity leave, this is inevitable for any woman who receives a child , through their own delivery , adoption or surrogate but as corporations are offering egg freezing , does this make them more desirable to work for ?
Egg freezing could help support women who have certain medical conditions such as cancers or endometriosis. A perk of egg freezing offered by a company could offer women with certain medical conditions some reassurance that do not have to self fund and thus reducing the financial pressures. The pure awareness of this perk during the recruitment phase (or on applying for the job ) increases a woman’s awareness and may encourage her to freeze eggs a lot earlier than if she didn’t have this option.
What are the potential pitfalls of offering Egg Freezing ?
It can incur a high cost for the employer, costing thousands per cycle of egg collection and then storage costs .
Freezing eggs does not guarantee a future pregnancy. This could lead to disappointment.
Egg freezing perks may only be offered to those employees who are high ranking, potentially excluding lower paid employees.
There are some ethical and social concerns including subtly encouraging women to put their employers first and delay having a family.
Women may potentially delay looking for a partner because they have “banked” their eggs and potentially missing the experience of meeting someone if they are laser focussed on their career. Women may think I don’t need to meet anyone in order to use my eggs for a baby later down the line.
We also need to mention for completion the short term risks of fertility treatments such as the side effects of medications as well as the psychological experience of retrieving eggs.
12 Questions to ask you Employers if they offer an Egg Freezing Package:
1) Am I eligible ? It is dependent on how much I earn ?
2) Which fertility clinics are offered under the package and what are their success rates ?
3) Does the fertility clinic offer counselling ?
4) Is the cost of medication included ?
5) How long do I have to be working in order to access Egg Freezing ?
6) How much is the allowance and how many cycles of egg retrieval does this allow me to have ?
7) Is storage costs included in the package or do I have to pay for this myself ?
8) Does this affect my maternity package and pay in any way ?
9) Does the company support parental leave, IVF and adoption assistance ?
10) How long do I have to remain at the company after having an egg retrieval?
11) Can I still retrieve my eggs if I leave the company ? Do I have to transfer my eggs elsewhere ?
12) Is there any data on success rates that egg freezing will lead to a pregnancy ?
13) Is there an opt out option whereby I don’t utilise egg freezing and is my Employee contract different in any way if I were to concieve naturally ?
I think, having an option to freeze eggs is a great option especially if a woman is not ready to start a family. Having their employers pay for this can reduce the financial pressures. However I would consider that this may prevent a woman deciding herself when she would like to try for a pregnancy without the influence of their employers. Merely having egg freezing as a perk could subtly be creating a culture where women are expected to delay their family because other co-workers are also delaying. I would consider the above questions to ask Employers in order for you to make the right choice for you.