How can my business support women's health issues in the workplace?
A recent health report from Axa Health has revealed a shocking statistic – neglecting women’s health at work costs the UK economy a staggering £20.2 billion each year.
Given that 16.06 million women aged 16 and over were in employment in the UK at the end of 2023, it’s clear to see that something needs to be done to address the issues that specifically relate to women’s health. Not only do women’s health challenges have a huge financial impact on the economy, but it can also impact the operational running of a business and potentially have a detrimental impact on that individual’s wellbeing.
In this post, we look at the leading health issues that specifically impact women and the key considerations for business leaders. Although the focus of this blog is women’s health issues, the Axa report does also have a section about men’s health issues, and we will cover this in a future blog.
Why should businesses talk about women’s health issues in the workplace?
It’s heartening to see that 60% of women who have talked about their health found their employers to be supportive, whether this be through time off, offering counselling or making adaptations to the workplace.
However, what is happening to the remaining 40%?
85% of working-age women have experienced at least four women’s health conditions.
Over a third (36%) of women felt their employers weren’t supportive when it came to women-specific health matters, such as endometriosis, fertility, menopause and periods.
57% of those who suffer period-related symptoms have even felt the need to make up a story about their reasons for calling in sick.
The fear of hindering career growth (46%) and being forced to leave the workforce prematurely (48%) are among the top concerns for women.
This can then cause stress, with 90% of sufferers experiencing emotional job-related struggles.
The scale of this issue in the workplace challenges businesses to look at innovative ways to offer women the right support when experiencing women’s health issues. We will now look at the ways businesses can create a culture of understanding and acceptance so that women know that their health issues are taken seriously and will be treated with the same level of care as any other concern.
What can your business do to help women who experience period related symptoms?
57% of people who have period-related symptoms have had to lie about their reasons for taking sick days, but there are some simple things that can be put in place which make absence from work due to the menstrual cycle something that can be openly talked about:
Consider whether there are any support services that you can offer.
Talk openly to your employee about any adjustments you can make to help them, such as flexible working, home working or time off for medical appointments.
Make sure your policy covers female and reproductive health.
Ensure line managers are compassionate and have training in handling these issues.
How can my business support a woman having fertility treatment?
Although fertility issues can impact both men and women (as one in seven couples have difficulty conceiving), there is a lot you can do as an employer to support anyone with fertility concerns. Given that 88% of people said they would change jobs for fertility benefits, making sure this is part of your employee value proposition is only going to be a good thing.
Which of the following does your business have in place?
Is your fertility policy up to date and consistent? This might help people to feel more comfortable talking about these issues.
Are your employee entitlements clear, and are line managers able to handle the situation appropriately and compassionately?
Are employees clear on the flexibility they can expect if they need medical appointments, which can be frequent and unpredictable?
How can my business support women during pregnancy?
Although many families now have a balance of childcare and flexible working, the statistics still show that having a child has more impact on the woman compared to the man:
Two-thirds (67%) of women believe they have missed out on career progression in the last decade as a direct result of their childcare responsibilities.
23% of parents using formal childcare have left their job or dropped out of education to avoid childcare costs.
17% of women and 4% of men leave work for good in the five years following childbirth.
If any members of your team fall pregnant, make sure you’ve got the following measures in place:
Carry out a regulatory risk assessment and review any of their responsibilities that might have an impact on their pregnancy.
Make sure your maternity policies are easy for employees to review.
Discuss any flexible working arrangements that might help an expectant mother during her pregnancy.
Discussing what the return to work might look like is also a great way to reduce stress and make sure your policy around KIT (Keeping in Touch) days has been understood.
Women may also become a parent through adoption or surrogacy, so make sure that you have an up-to-date adoption and surrogacy policy in place too.
How can my business support women going through the Menopause?
A survey carried out in 2022 reported that 92% of respondents had been impacted by menopause symptoms at work. Not only did they have to face the physical symptoms, these were exacerbated by the attitude of colleagues and line management.
Despite the best of intentions, many companies struggled to know how they could best support women experiencing menstrual and menopausal symptoms. In 2023, BSI launched the BS 30416 Menstrual and menopausal health in the workplace standard, and their associated free course.
If this is something you haven’t yet reviewed for your business, we’d recommend you take a look at the free toolkit that BSI have developed to help businesses identify the misconceptions around menstruation and menopause. The toolkit will help you to put into action the correct adjustments, which should improve the wellbeing of female employees and make your workplace more inclusive. Of course, we can help you to embed this guidance into your organisation.
Which ISO standards can help my business to support women’s health issues in the workplace?
Continual Improvement offers ISO consulting services for two standards that could help your business to offer more support for women in the workplace:
ISO 45001 – Occupational Health & Safety
This standard can help you to reduce occupational ill health and meet legal and regulatory compliance. Working with a specialist health and safety consultant can reduce the likelihood of prosecution and fines for malpractice, and demonstrate your commitment to women’s health issues - a brilliant plus for your recruitment and retention strategies.
ISO 45003 - Psychological Health & Safety
A great partner to ISO 45001, ISO 45003 for Psychological Health & Safety is designed to look at ways to build a positive working environment to boost employee wellbeing. Awareness of poor mental health is always the first step, so working with one of our specialist ISO consultants to implement standards, can help you to spot the signs in your team and put the right support in place for people when they need it.
Prevention is the best way to reduce absence due to a mental health condition, and the support you provide is a great way to demonstrate the many ways you can care for your staff. This will help with employee recruitment, retention and overall engagement.
How we can help
The Continual Improvement ISO consultant team can help you to implement, audit and certify to ISO 45001 - Occupational Health and Safety and ISO 45003 – Psychological Health & Safety.
Get in touch with our team today to find out more about how an ISO certification consultant can support your female employees in the workplace
References:
2. Women’s Health – ‘Let's talk about it’ survey, Department of Health & Social Care, England, Dec 2021
3. Men’s Health Forum, Scale of the Challenge, 2022
4. Women’s Health study, 200+ female respondents, Peppy, Jan 2022