Know Your Flow podcast
Navigating fertility challenges at work can feel overwhelming, isolating and emotionally heavy. In this episode of Know Your Flow, Laura speaks with Natalie Silverman about what employees may be carrying privately, why so many people stay silent, and how managers can offer meaningful support with empathy, flexibility and psychological safety.
In This Episode, We Discuss
- Why fertility struggles remain under-discussed in the workplace
- How IVF, pregnancy loss and fertility treatment can affect emotional wellbeing and day-to-day work
- Why many employees hide their fertility journeys, and the cost of staying silent
- The importance of compassionate management and psychological safety
- How managers can create supportive environments even without a perfect corporate policy
- The experiences of men and LGBTQ+ people navigating fertility
- Why training, language and culture shifts matter alongside policy
About Our Guest, Natalie Silverman
Natalie Silverman is a broadcaster, podcaster, fertility advocate and co-founder of Fertility Matters at Work, an organisation focused on improving fertility support, training and policy in the workplace.
She founded The Fertility Podcast after her own IVF journey and has spent more than a decade amplifying the experiences of people navigating fertility challenges, treatment and loss.
Key Themes from the Episode
Fertility is a workplace wellbeing issue
Natalie discusses how fertility struggles can affect mental health, focus, productivity and a person’s sense of belonging. The impact does not stop when someone begins their working day.
Why so many employees stay silent
Fear of judgement, career repercussions or being seen as distracted can make people reluctant to disclose what they are going through. Silence can then add another layer of pressure to an already difficult experience.
The emotional reality of treatment
Appointments, uncertainty, physical symptoms, grief and financial pressure can all intersect with work. The episode explores the invisible load that managers and colleagues may never see.
Policies matter, but culture matters too
A written fertility or pregnancy-loss policy can help, but people still need to feel safe enough to use it. Natalie emphasises the role of leadership behaviour, manager training and everyday language.
Inclusive support matters
Fertility journeys do not look the same for every family. The conversation includes the different pressures experienced by men, partners and LGBTQ+ people, and why support should not rely on one narrow idea of fertility treatment.
What Managers Can Actually Do
Natalie outlines simple, human-first approaches: use clear and compassionate language, offer flexibility where possible, ask what the person needs, protect privacy, create psychological safety and avoid trying to solve something you cannot fix.
Employees do not need managers to have every answer. They need consistency, empathy and a willingness to listen. For wider clinical information about infertility and treatment, the NHS infertility guide is a useful starting point.
Episode Chapters
Key Takeaways
- Fertility journeys can have a significant impact at work even when nobody talks about them.
- Managers can help create safety, privacy and compassion.
- Support does not require perfect words or perfect policies.
- Culture determines whether people feel able to access the support that exists.
- Changing the conversation takes managers, leaders, HR teams and colleagues.
Listen & Subscribe
Listen to Know Your Flow by femme on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
