Businesses across the UK need to do more to introduce workplace policies centred around women’s health. While this might seem obvious – and while many HR leaders recognise their importance – there’s currently a low uptake in adopting policies such as pregnancy-loss leave or flexible working. This indicates that businesses are currently not taking action to support women’s health, most likely due to a lack of understanding of the health issues that women face and the best ways to support them.

Recent research involved surveying 5,000 female employees and 1,000 business owners in the UK, to shed light on the status of women’s health policies in the workplace. The findings revealed that only 18% of businesses currently offer free sanitary products and just 15% provide above-statutory leave. In addition, just 14% offer flexible working, and 12% have a wellbeing strategy in place. Equally, only 12% of businesses currently carry pregnancy-loss leave policies.

Perhaps most alarmingly, the research also revealed that just 12% of businesses have a culture where women’s health can be talked about. This demonstrates the significant gap in workplace support that is tailored towards women’s health and shows why businesses need to take immediate action to address this issue and create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all.

What is the gender health gap and why does it exist?

Data suggests that the UK has the one of the largest women’s health gaps across the G20, resulting in poorer health outcomes and treatment for women facing health issues.

Our research has helped us see what an impact this has in workplaces, with women taking an average of nine sick-leave days a year, due to a lack of understanding and support at work around women’s health issues. To help close this gap, we need much better education in workplaces around women’s health issues, especially among employers. Without this in place, women will continue to see their careers, and their physical and mental health, impacted.

But what can employers do to address the gender health gap?

It’s a simple equation: women are more focused and more productive in the workplace when they have better health outcomes. As we’ve already seen, though, only a fraction of businesses currently offers policies relating specifically to women’s health, such as extended maternity leave, provision of sanitary products, and flexible work arrangements.

To address this, businesses need to think about the issues that are most impacting colleagues. That might mean pregnancy or pregnancy loss, menopause, painful periods, or conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

If you’re a business leader, you should talk to your employees and listen to what they believe is lacking. That way, you’ll be able to introduce measures that aim to close the gender health gap and create an inclusive and supportive work environment.

Is there a gender health gap at your workplace?

To find out if you have a gender health gap within your organisation, you should start by gathering relevant data. This should include an employee survey that can offer insights into how female employees perceive the level of health support they receive in the workplace. These surveys should aim to capture a broad spectrum of health issues, including – but not limited to – those specific to women.

You should also look at the data around absences to see what health issues are causing women to take the most leave. Equally, exit interview data can be helpful for revealing whether health-related factors have contributed to the reasons women have left the organisation in the past.

Having this data will give you a far clearer idea of the issues that exist within your business – and make it much easier to know what areas need improving.

And how can you resolve it?

Once you have a better understanding of the health issues women are facing in your organisation, talk to your employees. Invite them to explain the problems they’re currently facing. And really listen.

To do this, it’s best to draw up some clear guidelines for managers and employees on how to have these discussions in a way that avoids any kind of stigma. Training managers to handle these conversations in an empathetic way, and recognising when employees might be struggling, is vital for making a real difference.

You should also look at what adjustments need to be made – and include these in the guidelines. This could be anything from introducing more flexible working hours to modifying responsibilities for a period of time, which can help to accommodate health issues while maintaining productivity. You could trial different approaches to see what works too, including allowing for additional breaks throughout the day or making allowances for more comfortable workwear (where appropriate!)

And ultimately you should build a supportive framework that promotes open dialogue and reasonable adjustments to women’s health policies. By doing this, you’ll help to create a more considerate and productive workplace.

How introducing new policies will make a huge difference to women in work

By bringing in health policies that benefit women, businesses will see sick-leave days reduced and productivity increased. Forward-thinking companies willing to prioritise these policies are far more likely to attract and retain top talent, gaining a competitive edge.

There’s no doubt there’s a long way to go to close the gender health gap, but by acting now, businesses will begin to make a difference. It requires open dialogue, gathering data on issues, and introducing supportive frameworks, all of which will help to make a huge difference.

*Conducted by Benenden Health