Rethinking Infertility Benefits: A Strategic Entry Point to Better Health

Infertility benefits are costly, but they can help people live their best lives. There are valid arguments on both sides of how these costs should be shared, and the right approach depends on each organization’s Total Rewards strategy. Shy of offering a comprehensive infertility benefit, or alongside one, employers can focus on linking and helping employees understand the downstream value of engaging with existing health strategies. This includes helping both men and women understand the interrelatedness of their bodies and the broader impact of lifestyle choices. Infertility can serve as a powerful front door to deeper engagement, particularly with obesity and lifestyle management programs. Supporting employees in achieving their personal goals, and helping them find their “why,” is often more effective than simply telling them what to do. This approach is supported by emerging research showing that lifestyle interventions can lead to modest improvements in male fertility outcomes, including sperm motility and morphology among men with obesity (Peel et al., 2025).

Peel, A., Lyons, H., Tully, C. A., Vincent, A. D., Jesudason, D., Wittert, G., & McPherson, N. O. (2026). The effect of obesity interventions on male fertility: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Human Reproduction Update, 32(2), 154–180. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmaf025