Merck puts the ‘family’ in workplace as fertility survey exposes gaps

Merck has announced the results of its Fertility Futures Survey of 1,500 Australians aged 18 to 35, revealing significant gaps in understanding of fertility and reproductive health. The Survey findings coincide with the company securing Family Inclusive Workplace Certification.

The survey, which examined awareness, attitudes and behaviours surrounding fertility among Millennials aged 25 to 35 and Gen Z Australians aged 18 to 24, found widespread misconceptions about fertility decline and conception. The findings point to a need for greater education, earlier conversations about reproductive health and stronger workplace support for people navigating fertility journeys.

Misconceptions persist around fertility and age

Three in four respondents (75%) incorrectly believe fertility only begins to significantly decline from the age of 35. In reality, fertility begins to decline gradually in a person’s early 20s, with a more marked decline from the mid-30s.

Josie Downey, Managing Director of Merck Healthcare Australia and New Zealand, said “Fertility knowledge is not keeping pace with the family aspirations of younger Australians. It’s really positive that the majority of Millennials and Gen Z Australians surveyed say they plan to have children in the future. However, what we can see are misconceptions that exist, and a clear need for greater understanding of fertility health support in the workplace for those on fertility journeys.”

More than one in five respondents (22%) also believe the optimal age to conceive or have a baby is between 30 and 45-plus years, a view held by 18% of Gen Z respondents and 25% of Millennials. By this stage, however, the chances of falling pregnant have already declined considerably.

For women, the chance of falling pregnant naturally in any given month falls from around 20% before the age of 30 to approximately 5% by age 40. The findings underscore a substantial gap in fertility literacy and are consistent with established evidence that people significantly overestimate the likelihood of pregnancy across different age groups.

Fertility increasingly enters the workplace conversation

While decisions about having children remain deeply personal, the survey suggests fertility is increasingly being viewed through the lens of workplace wellbeing rather than solely as a private health matter.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents (65%) believe employers should provide greater support to people navigating fertility journeys. Support is particularly strong among Millennials, 70% of whom support greater employer assistance, compared with 61% of Gen Z respondents.

Despite the growing availability of paid and unpaid leave at some Australian workplaces for fertility treatments and family-building activities, direct financial support remains limited. Only 5% of workplaces subsidise employees’ fertility treatment costs through an external provider, health insurance or direct reimbursement. Of these, just 2% provide subsidies through direct reimbursement.

For Emma Walsh, CEO of Parents at Work, the findings demonstrate why fertility support should increasingly be considered an integral component of inclusive and family-friendly workplace policy.

“While it is encouraging that most younger adults still hope to become parents, the level of misunderstanding around advancing age, fertility decline and fertility treatment highlights why greater education and earlier conversations are so important,” said Walsh. “Australian workplaces have a vital role to play in this. Fertility challenges can impact on physical health, mental wellbeing, finances and careers, yet many employees continue to navigate these experiences in silence.”

It is a timely call-to-action following the Federal Health Minister’s comments during Women’s Health Week (7-11 September), saying Australia has “more to do in women’s health”, and calling for greater “choice and control and access and affordability” for women across their reproductive lives.

Merck recognised for fertility and family support

The Fertility Futures Survey findings coincide with Merck securing Family Inclusive Workplace Certification, an initiative of Parents at Work and UNICEF Australia. The certification recognises Merck’s employee Fertility Benefit program, alongside its gender-neutral, family-friendly leave allowances and benefits.

“Family Friendly Workplace Certification recognises Australian employers that are creating environments where people do not have to choose between their career and building a family. We are seeing growing expectations from employees that workplaces provide meaningful support during fertility journeys,” said Walsh. “Organisations that respond are not only supporting better health and wellbeing outcomes, they are strengthening inclusion, attracting talent and building workplaces where people can thrive through every stage of life. We congratulate Merck on this achievement and hope more Australian employers follow this lead.”

Downey said the certification was particularly significant for Merck’s local workforce, highlighting the company’s approach to reducing financial barriers to fertility treatment.

“We are incredibly proud to achieve Family Inclusive Workplace Certification, recognising our commitment to supporting employees through some of life’s most important moments. Our Fertility Benefit program was designed to remove financial barriers for colleagues requiring fertility treatment. In Australia and NZ, we are reimbursing 90% of out-of-pocket costs employees may incur for themselves or their partner, up to a lifetime limit of €50,000 Euros,” explained Downey. “Since launching Merck’s Fertility Benefit globally in 2023, and in Australia and New Zealand in 2024, the company has reimbursed more than €5 million in out-of-pocket fertility-related expenses, supporting more than 900 employees worldwide, undergoing fertility tests or treatments, such as IVF, ART or hormonal therapies.”

Merck is also encouraging organisations and employers looking to develop more inclusive, family-forward policies to explore its Family Forward Workplaces initiative, which provides further information, ideas and tools to support the creation of family-friendly workplaces.

The company said its workplace initiatives build on its longstanding involvement in fertility medicine, with its treatments helped bring more than six million babies into the world globally, including in Australia.

“We know 1 in 6 Australians may have difficulty conceiving and need to access ART later in life, which can be expensive and emotionally challenging,” Downey added. “As a healthcare company, we believe supporting reproductive health extends beyond the patients we serve, it also means supporting our own people. We hope our experience encourages more Australian employers to recognise fertility support as an important investment in employee wellbeing, inclusion and retention.”

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