The Globe and Mail recently published an article called Why we need to talk about women’s health in the workplace. As a women-led company of healthcare practitioners, many of whom have small children, we are well-versed in the unique health concerns of women. A McKinsey Health Institute report reveals that women spend 25% more time in poor health compared to men, impacting their work presence and productivity. They estimate that closing the women’s health gap could add $1 trillion to the global economy.
Women of all ages are impacted by hormonal changes that can influence work participation. For example, most women report experiencing some PMS symptoms, including mood swings, pain, and headaches, which, in severe cases, can lead to missed work. It’s estimated that 10% of women experience endometriosis, often a painful condition that is notoriously underdiagnosed. Pregnancy and postpartum present their own challenges, both from a health standpoint and how women experience the transition back to work after a baby. Menopause can also have a variety of physical and psychological symptoms including sleep disruptions, hot flashes, weight gain, and depression and anxiety. When these health challenges are overlooked and stigmatized it can lead to absenteeism, decreased productivity, and disability leave if unaddressed.
Thankfully, companies are beginning to recognize this. We are fortunate at HEAL to work with many employee-centric organizations that recognize how a culture of well-being is not only good for employees but also good for their bottom line.
Research shows that flexible work is especially good for women and families. This is because women still take on the majority of caretaking and household responsibilities. This article by Forbes summarizes it well - women with childcare responsibilities are 32% less likely to leave a job if they can work remotely. Two-thirds of women also say flexible work has had a positive impact on their career development.
If your company has a culture of connection and belonging, it’s worth knowing that the majority of women say that they have actually experienced a greater sense of belonging from working from home, likely from the psychological safety and greater work-life balance that comes with it. Your company doesn’t need to be fully remote to be flexible - flexibility can also mean managers are okay if employees need to move their schedule around to work for their families or in case of illness, while still getting everything done. It can also mean greater flexibility around time off and keeping families in mind when it comes to work expectations and holidays.
Education about women’s health issues can go a long way. For example, a 2022 study conducted on the Flo app, which helps women understand, recognize and manage their menstrual cycle symptoms, found that women who experienced the most positive impact of the app “were 18–25% less likely to report an impact of their menstrual cycle on their productivity and 12–18% less likely to take days off work for issues related to their cycle.”
A growing number of our clients have requested women’s health-focused content. In our lunch & learn/webinar on Balancing Hormones, Naturally, women learn about the various dietary and lifestyle factors that influence hormone regulation and how that can impact their experience with PMS and menopause. They also learn about the next steps they can take to get treatment for specific hormone imbalances.
In our lunch & learn on Thriving in Peri-Menopause, Menopause & Beyond, women learn how to prepare for perimenopause and menopause and understand the signs. For example, 40-60% of women experience sleep disturbances entering menopause – something that greatly influences mental health, productivity and presenteeism. Many are unaware that symptoms of perimenopause can begin as early as your 30s, and that about 85 percent of women experience some degree of menopause symptoms. Since the severity of symptoms is incredibly influenced by diet and lifestyle, we cover dietary choices that positively and negatively impact this phase of life, how to improve sleep during this time, manage weight, and treatments like hormone replacement therapy and the impact on the body.
It’s not that women’s health issues need to be top of mind in every meeting or interaction at work, but sharing this type of information can help a lot of women feel better in their day-to-day lives. Like we’ve seen with content and conversations around mental health, it also helps to destigmatize women’s health issues, leading to a safer and more inclusive workplace, and helping with talent attraction and retention. When people are silent about health challenges or fear career repercussions, it can lead to decreased productivity, absenteeism, and disability leave if unaddressed.
Increasingly, top companies are taking this even further by taking women’s health into greater consideration when it comes to benefits and healthcare coverage. This includes paid parental leave (for both partners) and fertility treatment coverage. Infertility, barriers to care, and fertility treatment negatively affect employees while they are at work. Employees report significantly lower levels of productivity, engagement, job satisfaction, and more sickness-related absences as a result of fertility challenges. In contrast, employers who offer fertility benefits see better employee and business outcomes. For example, 61% of employees who received fertility benefits said they felt more loyal and committed to their employer while nearly three-quarters revealed they would stay at their company longer if they provided fertility benefits.
A CIPD report found that overall, the impact of fertility support on employees was positive, with outcomes such as better mental health and job performance. Even if your company is not in a position to offer these types of benefits, recognizing that this is something a large portion of your workforce may be dealing with opens the door for honest conversations, accommodations can be made, and employers can prevent resentment within teams, support equity, and enhance overall organizational culture.
All of this ties back to the culture of the workplace. If your organization embraces a culture of openness, where conversations around mental and physical health and wellbeing are commonplace, employees are more likely to feel comfortable expressing how they feel with their managers and expectations can be more clear.
To get started in supporting the women in your organization, click here to book a call with our team. We’ll share how we can help you build a customized, done-for-you workplace wellness program that supports the diverse needs of your organization.
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