How E.ON supports LGBT+ fertility journeys and creates space for all families

For LGBT+ families, we recognise that the journey to parenthood can come with unique challenges, including financial, emotional, legal, and systemic barriers. That’s why, as part of our support for our LGBT+ colleagues and as part of our partnership with Fertility Matters at Work, we’ve hosted a powerful webinar exploring LGBT+ family building.

Featuring expert external speakers and the lived experiences of our colleagues, the session opened an important conversation about what inclusive, supportive fertility policies really look like — and why they matter.

Why it matters

Fertility support is not a “nice-to-have” benefit — it’s essential. And for LGBT+ families, it’s often a non-negotiable part of starting a family. From IVF and to adoption and surrogacy, routes to parenthood for same-sex couples and queer individuals frequently involve fertility treatment. But, too often, the systems in place — from clinic practices to employer policies — aren’t built with LGBT+ families in mind.

More than three-quarters (77%) of LGBTQIA+ people aged 18–35 are either already parents or considering having children, a 44% increase over previous generations*. That growth reflects real people, real hopes — and real challenges.

A personal perspective: Amy’s story

Amy Holbrook, Social Value Manager at E.ON, shared her personal fertility journey, from a time before she joined E.ON. Her story sheds light on how company policies — or the lack of them — can make all the difference.

“One of the benefits of working for a large company is the potential for support,” Amy explained. “But in my previous role at another company, it felt like a fight to get basic policies in place. We campaigned for enhanced maternity leave — it came, but too late for me. We pushed for fertility support — it was approved, but I couldn’t claim it retrospectively. It always felt like we were just missing out."

Amy also shared the difficult experience her wife had with a major supermarket chain. After suffering a miscarriage and medical complications, she was pushed into “banked hours” and forced to pay £300 to be off sick.

"She never got that money back,” Amy said. “That shouldn’t have happened. Companies need to review how they handle time off during fertility and reproductive health issues.”

Her vision for the future is clear: “I’d love to see more education for hiring managers — cliff notes on what’s available, shared through leadership channels. Fertility issues are stressful and isolating. Just knowing you’re not alone can make a huge difference."

What we’re doing at E.ON

We're proud to say that Amy’s experience so far with E.ON has been “so far, so good!” — and that’s no coincidence. We’ve worked hard to put inclusive, proactive support in place, built together with our colleagues and their lived experience. “Although I don’t need to support any more (very much done having kids!) it’s still something I checked before applying for the role. E.ON seems great with their enhanced maternity/paternity leave and flexible working to support through treatment.”

Here’s more about how we’re supporting our people:

Fertility Forum
Our newest inclusion network supports all families and prospective parents — LGBT+ or otherwise — on any stage of their fertility journey. It’s colleague-led and driven by passion and empathy.

Fertility Friends
A peer-support system made up of colleagues who’ve walked the path of fertility, including LGBT+ families, men, women, and those who’ve built their families through adoption or surrogacy.

Fertility Guide
Practical advice, emotional support, and conversation guidance — created by colleagues, for colleagues.

Pride Network
Our Pride community is one of our many inclusion networks that are here to make sure no one at E.ON ever feels like they have to hide who they are to succeed at work.

Working Families Network
Open to all forms of parenthood — biological, adoptive, foster, step, and more — this is a space for support, story-sharing, and solidarity.

Additional Support Tools

• Paid fertility leave, for appointments and recovery
• Fertility cafés, for open and inclusive discussion
• In-house eLearning on reproductive health
• Fertility Friendly accredited employer status

Where we go next

We know there’s always more to do. That’s why we’re committed to keeping this conversation going year-round. We’re continually reviewing our policies with colleagues to make sure our language and practices are truly inclusive. We’re learning, adapting, and growing, together.

Education is key – to be a supportive colleague, there is a whole host of resources for you to get stuck into, including podcasts such as  How to support a colleague on a surrogacy journey and Diversity and Inclusion Series - Why Alternative Paths to Parenthood Matter.

Amy’s story — and the stories of so many others — show us that meaningful change is possible. By listening, learning, and acting, we can make sure no one ever feels alone on their fertility journey.