Why does women’s health and supporting women in the workplace matter?

Women make up a significant proportion of the workforce and some industries are particularly female-dominant, for example 68% of all roles in the NHS are filled by women – 88% of those are nurses and health visitors. Meanwhile, 70% of jobs in the education sector are held by women.

Unfortunately, many workplaces are failing women and it’s no secret that without long-term, good quality support in place, countless women feel unable to do their job. Whether that’s because they are the primary care giver to their family or health reasons, instead, they leave roles and do not return to work because they feel like they are unable to do so.

And the statistics back it up with a recent report from the Fawcett Society suggesting that 1 in 10 working mothers have quit their jobs in 2023, whilst 1 in 5 mothers are considering leaving due to the challenge of balancing childcare and professional duties.

REC Parenting revealed that 40% of working parents have considered quitting their job due to the pressure of juggling work and home life, which is more prevalent among mothers (46%) than fathers (32%).

How can organisations help to support women in the workplace?

1. Enhanced maternity & paternity leave and pay – creating a more equal playing field
2. Extended healthcare provisions
3. Fertility support
4. Menopause support
5. Parental benefits
6. Flexible & hybrid working arrangements
7. Being period aware
8. Childcare support

Enhanced maternity & paternity leave and pay – creating a more equal playing field

According to Pregnant Then Screwed, almost two thirds of organisations in the private sector now offer some kind of enhanced maternity leave and pay, going above the statutory minimum which is brilliant.

These employers recognise that to attract and retain employees, particularly women, offering enhanced maternity and paternity terms are an important factor, especially for those planning to have a child or are expanding their family.

It is commonplace to see enhanced maternity pay of 26 weeks’ full pay in highly competitive and typically well-paid sectors, including finance and IT. In addition, some employers offer bonuses for those returning to work from maternity leave.

The challenge for employers is to make enhanced maternity pay standard across a wider range of sectors. And, of course, it should be remembered that enhanced maternity offers benefits to the employee and employer alike.

It encourages new parents to take more time off work to look after and bond with their child. It also boosts employee goodwill making it more likely that they will return to work once their period of leave ends.

Whilst mothers are offered more support, most organisations still only offer statutory paternity or partner leave which is currently 2 weeks’ leave. According to the CIPD, 46% of organisations would support extending statutory paternity leave and pay and we agree.

Enhancing paternity/partner leave would help balance the care-giving responsibilities, particularly during the first few weeks as a new parent. It puts less pressure on families and new mothers whilst also giving the partner a longer period to bond with their new-born.

However, just because the statutory minimum paternity/partner leave is 2 weeks, doesn’t mean that businesses can’t put in place their own policy offering enhanced partner leave.

Extended healthcare provisions                      

Private medical insurance is the most sought-after employee benefit but how about extending the offering to the whole family? Many parents will find themselves needing access to GPs and other medical care for themselves and their children, by offering to extend private medical care to cover the whole family, it gives parents peace of mind that they have access to a medical professional should they need it.

Fertility support

If you don’t think fertility is an important topic for employers, then think again. According to the 2023 Fawcett Society and Total Jobs report, there’s currently 3.5 million people in the UK facing fertility challenges.

• 92% of people who went through fertility treatment took time off as sick leave or unpaid leave
• 69% of people who went through fertility treatment didn’t tell HR and 59% didn’t tell their manager!

Employers are beginning to recognise that they can play a positive role in supporting their workforce to navigate fertility challenges. This not only has huge benefits for the individuals concerned, but also can improve staff wellbeing and reduce unplanned absences, whilst improving retention and progression of talent.

Menopause support

According to a 2022 report by the Women and Equalities Committee, in the region of 31% of women respondents said they had missed work because of menopausal symptoms, yet only 10% had requested some form of workplace adjustment from their employer related to menopause. It is also estimated that around 900,000 women have quit their jobs due to menopause.

The report also highlighted that around 20% of survey participants did not know how to go about making such adjustments. Employees are still unwilling to approach their employer regarding their personal health needs.

Thanks in part to celebrities such as Davina McCall, employers are increasingly aware of the importance of supporting female employees through menopause.

Recent Employment Tribunal cases have demonstrated that female employees are paying the price for poorly thought through policies and outdated workplace cultures when it comes to menopause. The recent case of Best v Embark on Raw Ltd in 2022 showed that casual and inappropriate comments about menopause by staff members might amount to harassment.

There are a few ways to show greater willingness to support women going through menopause at work such as introducing a menopause policy which outlines how your business supports people with menopausal symptoms and potential adjustments or leave entitlement. Another is to sign up to the menopause workplace pledge.

Wellbeing of Women oversee the pledge, and many large UK companies have already signed up, including Marks and Spencers Bank, Co-Op, BBC, Royal Mail, Astra Zeneca, and some NHS trusts. By signing up to the menopause pledge, companies commit to:

• Recognising that the menopause can be an issue in the workplace and women need support
• Talking openly, positively and respectfully about the menopause
• Actively supporting and informing your employees affected by the menopause

Lastly, being flexible and allowing women to work from home or with flexible hours if they’re experiencing symptoms goes a long way to support women experiencing the menopause.

Parental benefits

1 in 7 women will develop post-natal depression after giving birth, and almost half of these go undiagnosed for fear of lack of support and stigma surrounding it. Meanwhile 66% of parents said an issue with their children would affect their performance at work.

You can help your employees through these challenges by providing access to mental health services, such as counselling sessions or an employee assistance programme which gives access to a 24/7 confidential help line.

Many EAP providers give you access to online resources and some even offer a set amount of counselling sessions a year. EAPs are an affordable way for employers to offer additional support to their team.

Flexible & hybrid working

The easiest way to support women in the workplace is by offering flexible and hybrid working arrangements to fit around their lives – whether they have children or not.

As of 6 April 2024, Flexible Working will become a Day One right. Flexible working can refer to working patterns or hours, including part time, flexi-time, term time, compressed hours and adjusting start and finish times, as well as location.

Employers will now need to consult with employees before they reject a flexible working request and respond to a flexible working request in under two months. Employees will now be able to make two requests in any 12 month time period, which is an increase from the previous 1 request.

Employees no longer need to explain the effect their request will have on the employer or suggestions to deal with the impact. On the whole, it will be more difficult for employers to reject a flexible working request unless there is a significant reason not to.

Period awareness

75% of women suffer with painful periods that are so bad, it affects their performance at work, yet they’re afraid to speak to their manager about it. The most common reason for not bringing it up, is that they don’t think their manager would understand, or it would have a negative impact on how they were viewed in the workplace.

Period care company Yoppie found that 26% of females fear their period pains or other PMS symptoms will not be considered a legitimate illness and therefore not a good enough reason to miss work.

The topic of periods has been incredibly taboo but with it impacting so many women who often suffer in silence, it’s an important consideration for employers and in particular line managers.

Whilst countries like Spain have introduced paid period pain leave, not everyone is convinced by the new law and the UK is unlikely to follow in their footsteps any time soon.

Paid period leave is an employer’s choice, but it can go a long way to creating a more inclusive workplace. Even if you don’t want to offer paid leave, organisations can still be more supportive, with reasonable sick leave policies which should cover the days women need for both sickness and their period.

Childcare support

Providing childcare support – no matter how much or how little can go a long way to support working parents, particularly mothers.

Workplace nursery

Whilst it won’t be a viable option for some businesses, setting up a workplace nursery which provides on-site, or local childcare can have a huge impact on families. Employees still pay for childcare, however, they exchange part of their salary under a salary sacrifice scheme. This can save employees money by reducing their national insurance whilst also knowing they have childcare covered.

Financial support

Another option is to allocate employees a pot of money each year that can be spent on childcare. Some may not choose to spend the allowance on childcare and instead invest it in a gym membership or holiday.

Need help building inclusive workplaces and reviewing your employee offering?

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