A motion passed on Sunday calls for new legislation to protect the rights of parents going through fertility treatment, amid growing concern that current employment policies are failing to support the thousands of people undertaking IVF each year.
More than 50,000 people undergo fertility treatment annually in the UK, yet many are forced to use up annual leave, take unpaid time off, or use sick leave to cover absences caused by appointments, procedures, or the emotional toll of failed cycles. The GMB said this lack of structured support disproportionately affects women and is leaving couples to navigate a deeply personal and medically intensive process without proper workplace protections.
The union has now committed to launching a national fertility rights campaign and will lobby the government to introduce new legal rights during this parliament.
“For many, IVF isn’t a choice – it’s the only option to start or grow a family,” said Majlinda Perlesi, a GMB delegate and council worker from Sheffield. “Yet despite the physical, emotional and financial toll it takes, there remains little to no structured workplace support.”
Perlesi stressed that infertility is recognised by the World Health Organization as a medical condition, yet those undergoing IVF are treated differently from people receiving other types of medical care.
“Unlike other medical treatments, those undergoing IVF are often made to use annual leave, unpaid time off, or sick leave – sometimes even facing stigma, judgement or discrimination in the workplace,” she said. “This is not just unjust – it’s inhumane.”
The GMB’s call follows a growing national conversation around reproductive health in the workplace. Campaigners have long argued that the UK lags behind other countries in recognising and supporting employees undergoing fertility treatment.
While some employers have introduced internal fertility leave policies, there is no legal requirement in the UK for companies to offer paid time off for IVF. The GMB’s proposal would aim to introduce statutory protections, including paid leave and the right to request flexible working during treatment cycles.
With the motion now backed by the union’s membership, the GMB is expected to begin campaigning for reform across both public and private sectors, urging MPs to back legislative change.
Supporters say it would mark a vital step forward in ensuring reproductive health is treated with the dignity and support it deserves in modern workplaces.
