Today is International Women’s Day which means women’s health and wellbeing in the workplace is in the spotlight.
Since its inception in 1911, International Women’s Day has marked progress towards gender equality, but health disparities often persist in workplaces.
There is a growing urgency for employers to take action to enhance their support for women’s health and wellbeing, especially in anticipation of forthcoming family-focused legislation coming in April.
Window of opportunity
The World Health Organization and McKinsey recently published a report highlighting that despite living longer women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health.
It also found that addressing the women’s health gap could potentially boost the global economy by more than $1trn annually by 2040.
Historically, women’s health concerns, including periods, fertility, and menopause, have often been marginalised or addressed superficially in the wake of media attention.
However, with the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day being Inspire Inclusivity, employers are encouraged to help build inclusivity, by supporting women’s health and wellbeing.
In addition, impending family-focused legislation like the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 and the Carer’s Leave Act 2023, alongside recent guidelines from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) on menopause, mean there is now a window of opportunity for employers to take proactive measures.
This includes developing a comprehensive employee benefits and wellbeing strategy that caters to the diverse needs of women across all age groups, and not just singling out specific groups such as older women.
Investing in female health and wellbeing
Building a supportive and inclusive culture with access to essential healthcare can empower women to lead healthier, happier lives and make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.
This can improve their motivation and performance, help companies attract talent, and reduce rates of absence.
This needs to be well thought through and considered, rather than a knee jerk reaction to the latest health trends.
Actively listening to female employees and not presuming to understand the challenges they face is key. This could be done through surveys and focus groups.
Once employers understand the issues women are dealing with, they can introduce female-friendly benefits which could include support on a range of issues from periods to menopause, through to fertility, female cancers and mental health support.
Inclusive laws
The new legislations are designed to be more inclusive for women, offering increased protection from redundancy for pregnant women; and giving a new entitlement of one week of unpaid leave annually for employees who care for dependants with long term needs, which is a burden that often falls to women.
The EHRC guidelines also clarified the legal obligations to workers going through menopause and that employers could face being sued under the Equality Act 2010 if they do not make reasonable adjustments for women with menopause symptoms.
Taking a tailored approach to benefits, based on the needs of female employees, is an important step in making sure that women’s health and wellbeing issues are given more priority.
Being proactive ensures employers not only comply with legal requirements but build a culture that enables women to thrive personally and professionally.
Four steps businesses can take to promote female health and wellbeing are:
- Raise awareness about the importance of regular health check-ups, gender-specific screenings, and preventive measures for women of all ages. Include annual health screenings as part of the overall benefits package.
- Create a culture of wellbeing. Provide resources and information on maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health. Use a wellbeing calendar to tie activity in with national awareness days.
- Review HR policies and employee benefits to identify gaps in gender specific healthcare provisions and to ensure HR policies fully support gender equity. Consider benefits specifically designed to support the needs of women in the workplace, such as menopause and fertility support.
- Communication is key. Signpost the employee benefits and wellbeing services available to employees, so that they know what support is in place and how to access it.