Empowering fertility journeys: organizational policies, autonomy and well-being

Purpose This article explores the relationship between the wellbeing of employees as part of the integration of organizational fertility support policies and the reproductive healthcare and career development of the corporates and the soft focus of the perception of reproductive autonomy as a mediating factor and the supportive organizational climate as a moderating factor. Design/methodology/approach This study is largely based on quantitative research and employs multi-wave longitudinal surveys to collect data and analyze the responses from a sample of 326 employees from three large companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Structural equation modeling (SEM) with additional regression analysis was employed to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings The analysis shows that organizational focus on employee fertility support policies enhances employee well-being, while organizational pliability improves the employee's ability to merge career with reproductive healthcare. The reproductive autonomy perception mediates the support policies effect on the employee well-being. The supportive organizational climate reinforces the direct effect of workplace flexibility on career balance and the indirect effect of workplace fertility policies on employee well-being through perceived reproductive autonomy. Practical implications Organizations should develop comprehensive reproductive and fertility policies in conjunction with relevant workplace flexibility. The effectiveness of the policy can be further improved by fostering a more open climate and training managers to promote fertility-related communication. Originality/value This article contributes to the body of knowledge in HRM by discussing the implications of reproductive health balance in relation to workplace flexibility and autonomy with the organizational climate. It adds theoretical and practical empirical value on how organizations can support employees' reproductive health and career aspirations.