While most women in the workplace face health problems at work (74%), they are finding there is a lack of support available to help them, according to research from Simplyhealth.
The cash plan provider’s survey of 4,000 people found women reported generally higher rates of being affected by health issues than men in the workplace, with around four-in-10 (37%) experiencing anxiety last year compared to just 26% of men.
Women were also found to be twice as likely to report having migraines (20%, compared to just 10% of men) and more women reported experiencing back pain (29% vs 25%) and muscle pain (18% vs 14%) than men.
But while a significant number of women are bringing their health issues to the attention of their managers (54% of line managers reported this 54%), more than a third (34%) said they don’t think their manager takes their health problems in the workplace seriously.
Compounding the issue, almost half (46%) of managers say they have not had any training to support employees with their health issues.
Four-in-10 managers (39%) said they don’t know how to signpost people they manage to any health benefits offered by the company, and a third (33%) of managers said they didn’t think it was their responsibility to support with workplace health problems.
To enable better support for women in the workplace, Simplyhealth has today released a guide for line managers to have comfortable conversations with their staff about some of the most common women’s health issues, from breast and ovarian cancer to fertility, menopause and menstruation, and mental health.
The guide is informed by Simplyhealth’s in-house clinicians and its new Women’s Health Charity Alliance, which has been supported by a £100,000 donation from the healthcare provider and includes Bloody Good Period, Miscarriage Association, Ovarian Cancer Action, and Domestic Abuse Volunteer Support Services (DAVSS).
Dr Macarena Staudenmaier Keglevich MD, MSc, and head of clinical product and operations at Simplyhealth, said: “The results of this research are disheartening but sadly not surprising. We know health issues such as menstrual pain and menopause can have a significant impact on people’s professional lives – with symptoms ranging from exhaustion and memory lapses to migraines.
“Simplyhealth’s Health Plan for businesses supports common women’s health issues by providing access to services such as virtual GPs, counselling, specialised cognitive behavioural therapy, and physiotherapy.
“Our in-house clinical team has also curated a set of supplements and menstrual and sexual health products alongside Unfabled, a women’s health platform, with discounts exclusively available to its members.”
Claudia Nicholls, chief customer officer at Simplyhealth, (pictured) added: “We know that women’s issues in the workplace have historically been at best overlooked and at worst ignored.
“It is vital that employers do their bit to keep working Britain healthy – easing the burden on the NHS and ensuring a motivated and happy workforce – and this means women’s health must be prioritised.
“Not only should employers provide appropriate health support – such as 24/7 GP and counselling access – but they must also reconsider the wider structures in place for employee health.
“Managers must be equipped with the knowledge to signpost staff to the right resources, and trained to have comfortable conversations that start to break down the barriers so many of us have faced when talking about women’s health issues in the workplace.”