The Social Affairs Committee of the Belgian Parliament approved a draft bill on 5 February 2024 to grant better protection to employees undergoing fertility treatment.
If the draft bill is passed, employers must be aware of the specific protection that will apply to such employees.
I. BACKGROUND
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infertility is a disease of the male or female reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.
Recent estimates suggest that infertility affects millions of people worldwide.
Depending on several factors (e.g., the cause of the infertility, its duration, the individual’s age, etc.), fertility treatments may include medicines, surgical procedures and/or assisted conception (e.g., in vitro fertilization). As a result, such treatment may involve significant financial, physical, emotional and time commitments.
