Women’s Health and Wellbeing

We shouldn’t be shy about it. The health of the women in your business matters, and we need to talk about it. In a recent survey, 60% of employers said that recruiting women and retaining talented women is a challenge (Peppy, 2022) – which is alarming, given that women make up such a significant proportion of the workforce. There are approximately 15.5 million women aged 16+ in employment (Office for National Statistics in 2021) and they dominate roles in health and social work, the wholesale and retail trade and education. It’s therefore critical to productivity in business (both at a micro level and at a macro level for the country as a whole) that the health issues that are particular to women are better understood and accommodated in the world of work.

There may have been generous improvements in statutory provisions for family leave, but when it comes to practical responses to the physical, psychological and emotional challenges that women face, simply as features of being women … well, we still have a little way to go.

One in six couples in the UK face fertility challenges and one in four women will experience a miscarriage while trying to conceive (Fertility Network UK). Statistically, this means that a significant proportion of women in work will be dealing with these challenges and quite possibly trying to carry on as normal, despite facing heartbreak. Personal fertility issues can lead to depression, anxiety and stress, all of which manifests itself in the workplace with unexplained absence, decreased job satisfaction and reduced output.

We also think it’s worth considering that ‘women centred’ support impacts men in the workplace too. Where they are husbands and partners, it follows that their own health, happiness and productivity at work is in no small part affected by the wellbeing of the women in their lives.

There are a number of initiatives that employers might introduce, some which may have cost implications, others that are absolutely free. As a minimum, not withholding time off (paid or unpaid) is a great place to start if you want to support staff who are navigating through IVF treatments.

At the other end of the spectrum, women aged 50 to 64 are the fastest-growing economically active group in the UK. There are around 4 million women aged over 50 employed in the UK (ONS, 2021). The menopause has, until recently, been rarely discussed in the workplace; it has been a state of silent and stigmatised suffering for many women, causing them to leave employment despite having many more years of value to contribute to the world of work.

Symptoms of the menopause include cognitive issues such as difficulty concentrating, anxiety, sleep deprivation and low mood. There is an increased likelihood that the women most severely affected will need additional time off work. Asking for the time off, in itself, can add to the stress symptoms that these women are experiencing, as disclosing the reason is significantly more sensitive and personal than calling in sick with a cold. Few line managers would really know how to respond to “Can I please take a couple of days off because I’ve broken out in a heat rash, I haven’t slept for days, my mind’s in a fog, and I’m feeling a bit murderous”. And few women, of course, would make such a call. They might say, instead “I’ve got a cold” and their line manager would sigh, and think, ‘malingerer!’. If, instead, the employer publishes its policy on women’s health (this is not to say you should write War & Peace … just a paragraph within your Handbook or Sickness Policy) and provides line managers with any education or training they may need, then you’re off to a good start.

If the work environment at least acknowledges that gynaecology is a thing (no need to become an expert in this area) and that hormones are real, and that some (not all) women may at times struggle with these very real things, you will be doing a great service to your workforce as a whole.

It's important to understand your people. As the demographics of the workplace change, employers that recognise and respond to the distinct challenges of women’s health will inevitably get a competitive edge, retaining talent, knowledge and skills and reducing the cost of employee turnover. By introducing ‘women centred’ support in the workplace employers can:

• build upon existing family friendly policies and show ‘women at work’ that they are valued assets;

• demonstrate a competitive edge in talent attraction and retention;

• support wellbeing, diversity and employee engagement agendas;

• reduce gender inequality issues;

• increase the ‘happiness quotient’ and the ‘productivity quotient’ in equal measure!

At The Ink Group, we are working with our key partners in developing benefits that are specifically linked to women’s health at every stage in their lives. We are also offering practical support for policy writers and managers of people, so that they can talk meaningfully about women’s health at work. For more information, contact us at hello@theinkgroup.co.uk