Champion women’s wellbeing at work this year

There’s been a lot of discussion recently about how to support women in the workplace and, while there’s been improvement, there is still work to be done to make our workplaces inclusive for women. Celebration days such as International Women’s Day kick off conversations, however it’s important that we make a conscious effort to create inclusive behaviours and policies all year-round.

Wellbeing at work is one area where women’s experiences have often been overlooked. Recent research by BetterUp found that while 3 in 5 women have needed to take time off work due to female health issues (not including maternity leave,) a whopping 90% of women think that employee wellbeing programmes should better support the wellbeing of women.

Women make up almost half of the UK workforce and can face health and wellbeing challenges at all stages of their careers, such as periods, pregnancy, fertility issues, menopause and endometriosis (a long-term condition which affects 1 in 10 women).

We have seen demand for more support with female issues like menopause, periods and infertility, however, it’s clear that more change is needed to create supportive workplaces for women and tackle the stigma surrounding female health. In 2023, our experts predict that supporting women’s issues will become a key driver for improving engagement and retention levels. Read the full story in our 2023 trends report.

A note from People Insight: In this article we explore ways to improve the wellbeing of women at work, however policies and changes should also consider the needs of people who identify as non-binary, transgender, or intersex and may also experience these issues.

How can employers support women’s wellbeing at work?

86% of women said they would be more likely to work at a company if they had support in place for female health issues.

To improve the wellbeing of women in your organisation, start with what you already have; you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. First, review current company policies that support employees (such as those that surround sickness and leave,) then look for opportunities to make these more inclusive of women’s health and wellbeing. Also consider the processes around these policies and how you can make them less daunting for women to ask about, or use.

Recommendations to better support women’s wellbeing in the workplace:

1. More inclusive office design

Many employers are reflecting on how to get people back to the office, and inclusive office space design may be the answer; research shows that 30% of women in the UK would be more comfortable returning to the office if it were more inclusive. Inclusive workspaces make people feel valued and connected, often in ways we can’t articulate.

Helen Kewell, People Consultant, Psychotherapist and Author at Muuto Consulting says:

“This involves our perception of physical and psychological safety as well as workload demands. Such environments can leave people feeling isolated, under-valued and unhappy, without even realising the cause.”

Sharespace and Hootsuite are amongst many companies that have designed their office spaces to be female friendly. As well as rethinking design elements, they have introduced closer parking spaces, transparent offices and meeting rooms to counter any potential harassment and added private workout spaces to gyms.

There has also been a rise in demand for temperature-controlled areas with research showing that women prefer a warmer environment to men. Temperature control will not only help end the age-old battle over the office thermostat, but also provides comfort for pregnant women or those experiencing hot flushes.

In addition, the Health and Safety Executive advise all employers to provide a designated area for breast pumping and storing. Without this, women may be forced to use an unsuitable space, such as a bathroom.

2. Adopt inclusive ways of working & policies

With many organisations embracing hybrid working, it’s likely that you’ve reviewed your flexible and remote working policies recently, which is great! But while updating these, did you also consider aspects of women’s wellbeing like doctors’ appointments, or caring responsibilities?

Changing your policies to reflect these experiences makes it easier for women to ask for help, as they may otherwise feel embarrassed about asking to adapt their schedules around appointments or symptoms. Read our article for more ideas to adapt wellbeing initiatives for remote work.

Insomnia, for instance, is experienced by 60% of menopausal women and can have a real impact on women’s performance at work. Employers can support women by offering flexible working policies that make it easier to start work earlier or later, or to work from home after a bad night’s sleep.

Also consider introducing additional policies, specific to the wellbeing of women. Menopause and menstruation policies which specify the support you can offer will greatly help managers and employees alike. Here is a great template to get you started.

Many employee benefits providers also now offer programmes specific to women’s health and wellbeing. Take a look at some of the options here.

There are loads of amazing coaching sessions that focus on women’s health and wellbeing, for example:

1. Peppy Health offers a great toolkit which includes education about the menopause, how employees can support one another and implementing change within your business.
2. Joyful Living offers online and in-person sessions to get women talking about their health and wellbeing, and help normalise these discussions
3. Many female health issues negatively impact mental health. Head Space have a great phone app that can be used daily, as well as offering training courses for organisations.

3. Help managers open up conversations

Almost four million working women in Britain are aged between 45 and 55, and women over 50 represent the fastest-growing section of the workforce‡. Yet almost half of them feel they couldn’t tell their workplace that having to take a day off was because of the menopause. In fact, 1 in 4 women have left jobs as a result of feeling unwell due to the menopause. (Research by Bupa)

A manager’s role is to offer support, not medical advice, to their team but to do this they have to understand the issues being raised. Male line managers might find it uncomfortable to start conversations around women’s health and wellbeing, so offer them training and support to help normalise these conversations and educate managers about their role in supporting women’s workplace wellbeing. Bupa offer a great resource to help managers start these conversations.

Helen Kewell, People Consultant, Psychotherapist and Author at Muuto Consulting says:

“These conversations will be multi-faceted. “Menopause, pregnancy, menstruation are biological, social, and developmental transitions in women’s lives. Open up that conversation too as it is directly related to a women’s sense of inclusion and her mental health. Allow space for people to reflect on: how have I grown or changed in this experience, what might I need from work now that’s different? What are my options on career growth and my role?”

4. Involve employees in decisions about women’s wellbeing at work

Employee feedback is a vital way to assess organisation wellbeing. Before launching any policy, initiative, or campaign to improve women’s workplace wellbeing, take time to consult your employees. Some of these issues can be sensitive or uncomfortable for employees to discuss openly. So anonymous employee surveys or focus groups, facilitated by an external partner like People Insight, are useful ways to gather honest feedback and identify where support is needed most.

For example, before creating a menopause policy you could run a focus group with peri, menopausal and post-menopausal women as well as male representation.

Your focus group could explore the following questions about menopause in the workplace:

1. To what extent can menopause be an issue for women in our workplace? Does this vary by role, department, or demographic?
2. What does good support look like? And are there any times we might have got it wrong?
3. What practical things could be done to help women feel supported?
4. What could we do to break down barriers of openly discussing menopause at work?

Ready to spark positive change in your workplace? Speak to People Insight about measuring and improving women’s wellbeing at work with an employee wellbeing survey or focus group.