One in six people in the workplace struggle with fertility and a Jersey charity wants bosses to take the steps to support them.

Tiny Seeds has launched a new initiative called the 'Fertility Friendly Workplace Toolkit', to equip bosses with knowledge of how to support members of their teams with fertility struggles.

More than 40 Jersey businesses are learning to make their workplaces fertility-friendly and support their staff through their IVF journeys.

The charity says islanders going through IVF may need time off work - five days at a time - to travel to the UK to get their treatment and attend appointments.

It claims some people may feel like they cannot ask for support or time off as it may affect their careers if their employer suspects they are trying for a baby.

Charity governor Chloe Fosse says fertility issues affect both men and women.

"[The toolkit] includes thinking about things from flexible working, or when they're in the UK if they can work remotely, things like that.

"There are benefits to the employer and the employee, because if somebody feels comfortable telling their employer what they're going through, although the travel is last minute, there can be an element of planning for it.

"Whereas, if they don't feel comfortable letting them know, they may just call in sick on the day and there's an unplanned absence."

Other ways employers can help islanders struggling with fertility is with a quiet room to go to if they are expecting a difficult phone call or need a minute to themselves, or having a spare fridge for medication.

Chloe says it encourages employees to come to work as they know they have the support they need there.

"We've been encouraging local employers to put together their own standalone fertility policies and to demonstrate they're a fertility-friendly workplace.

"Through the two years of work we've been doing, offering training in different workplaces, we realised we could consolidate this all into one booklet and really lay out the facts and the figures and the research behind it and step by step show them how they can create their own policy."

Islanders who would like to download the toolkit can do so on the Tiny Seeds website and the charity says it does not believe finances should be a barrier to education and will offer free training.