IVF is not a minor medical appointment. A single cycle involves multiple clinic visits during working hours — monitoring scans, blood tests, egg collection (which requires time off and sedation), embryo transfer, and follow-up. Across a cycle that may last several weeks, taking time off work is unavoidable.

Yet as of 2026, UK law offers minimal specific protection for employees undergoing fertility treatment. This guide explains the current legal position, what rights you do have, and how to manage the practical challenges of combining IVF with work.

There is currently no statutory right to time off for IVF or fertility treatment in the UK. Unlike maternity appointments (which are protected by the right to paid time off for ante-natal appointments), fertility treatment appointments have no equivalent statutory protection.

What this means in practice:

  • Your employer can require you to take annual leave, unpaid leave, or make up hours missed for fertility treatment appointments
  • You have no automatic right to keep your fertility treatment confidential from your employer (if you need to explain absences)
  • There is no statutory right to pay for time taken for treatment

What the law does say:

Disability discrimination: Whether infertility constitutes a disability under the Equality Act 2010 is not settled. Some Employment Tribunals have found that infertility conditions meet the definition of a long-term physical condition with substantial adverse effect on day-to-day activities; others have not. This is a complex area and specialist legal advice is needed to assess individual cases.

Sex discrimination: In limited circumstances, disadvantageous treatment related to fertility treatment may constitute sex discrimination — particularly where treatment is specifically related to a woman's physiology (egg collection, for example). Case law in this area is limited and contested.

Pregnancy discrimination: Once a woman has undergone embryo transfer, some legal opinion holds that she is in a "protected period" for pregnancy discrimination purposes, similar to a naturally pregnant woman. This remains unsettled in UK law, though CJEU case law (Mayr v Bäckerei) established protection at the egg fertilisation stage.

What Good Employers Do

While statutory protections are limited, many UK employers — particularly larger employers with explicit fertility benefit policies — have implemented:

  • Paid time off for fertility treatment appointments (sometimes a set number of days per cycle)
  • Egg freezing funding or IVF cycle cost contributions
  • Flexible working arrangements during treatment cycles
  • Fertility wellbeing resources and employee assistance programme (EAP) access
  • Partner leave for fertility treatment appointments

If your employer has a fertility policy, it should be in the HR handbook or available from HR. If no policy exists, a conversation with HR or your line manager is possible — asking whether reasonable adjustments can be made under the general framework of health and wellbeing.

Practical Strategies for Managing IVF at Work

Schedule appointments strategically. Many clinic monitoring scans can be done early morning (some clinics open at 7am for this reason). Egg collection is typically a morning procedure. Where choice exists, morning appointments minimise work disruption.

Decide in advance how much to disclose. You can tell your employer only what you are legally required to — which is essentially nothing, unless your contract requires sick leave to be covered by a medical certificate. Many patients find keeping IVF private at work reduces pressure, but it also limits what understanding or adjustment can be offered.

Keep things vague if you prefer. "Medical appointments" is a legitimate description of clinic visits. You are not required to specify that you are undergoing fertility treatment.

Plan around the egg collection day. Egg collection requires sedation and you cannot drive or work safely the same day. Planning this around a Friday or taking one day of annual leave is common. Most employers accept a single day of planned annual leave without explanation.

Use flexible working if available. Remote working arrangements, where they exist, make morning scan appointments considerably easier to accommodate without formal time off.

Disclosing Fertility Treatment to Your Employer

Deciding whether to tell your employer about IVF is a personal decision. Considerations:

Reasons to disclose:

  • If you need repeated time off and cannot manage it without explanation, disclosure allows your employer to be understanding rather than raising performance or absence concerns
  • If your employer has a fertility policy, you cannot benefit from it without disclosure
  • If you want a supportive, honest relationship with your manager during a difficult time

Reasons not to disclose:

  • Concerns about stigma, assumptions about future maternity leave, or being perceived as distracted
  • In smaller organisations where privacy is harder to maintain
  • Where you are in a performance review or probation period

If you do disclose, consider whether to tell your line manager, HR, or both. Information given in confidence to HR should be treated as confidential. Information given to a line manager may be subject to less formal confidentiality, depending on workplace culture.

Pregnancy Loss at Work

If a cycle ends in early pregnancy loss — a negative test after a positive, or a miscarriage after a confirmed pregnancy — returning to work without acknowledgement can be extremely difficult.

Miscarriage leave: The Pregnancy and Infant Loss (Parental Leave) Act passed in 2024 introduced a right to paid bereavement leave for losses after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Losses before 24 weeks — which includes the vast majority of IVF-related pregnancy losses — are not covered by this legislation.

For pre-24-week losses, employees can use sick leave (if genuinely unwell, physically or mentally), annual leave, or compassionate leave (if offered by the employer as a policy matter). There is no statutory entitlement to paid time off for early pregnancy loss.

Organisations such as the Miscarriage Association and Tommy's provide guidance for employees and employers on managing pregnancy loss in the workplace.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can my employer sack me for taking time off for IVF?

A: Dismissal specifically because you are undergoing fertility treatment could potentially constitute unlawful dismissal or sex discrimination, depending on the circumstances. However, the legal position is not clear-cut. If you believe you have been treated unfairly because of fertility treatment, contact ACAS or an employment solicitor. Keep records of any discussions or written communications about your absences and treatment.

Q: Do I have to tell my employer why I'm taking time off?

A: For ordinary annual leave, no. For sick leave, your employer may require a self-certification form or GP fit note for absences beyond 7 days. A GP fit note for fertility treatment-related absence would typically describe the condition in general terms (e.g., "medical treatment") without specifying IVF.

Q: My employer has a fertility benefit — what does it typically cover?

A: Employer fertility benefits vary widely. Common inclusions: cost contribution toward IVF or egg freezing (often capped at £1,500–£5,000 per cycle), paid time off for fertility appointments, and access to specialist fertility EAP support. Some employers (particularly in tech and finance) offer more generous benefits. Check your employee handbook or ask HR.

Q: Am I protected from redundancy if I'm undergoing IVF?

A: There is no specific protection from redundancy for employees undergoing fertility treatment, unlike for pregnant employees or those on maternity leave. If you have been selected for redundancy and believe it is connected to disclosure of fertility treatment, this is worth exploring with an employment solicitor.

Q: What should I do if I have a miscarriage and need time off?

A: Speak to your GP — they can issue a fit note for physical or psychological reasons. You can use sick leave, annual leave, or compassionate leave (if your employer offers it). You are not required to disclose that the absence relates to pregnancy loss. Your GP or therapist can support a signed fit note without requiring you to tell your employer the specific cause.

This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Employment law is complex and individual circumstances vary; seek specialist advice from ACAS or an employment solicitor for your specific situation.