A new Sun Life Canada study has shown that six out of 10 working women (60%) said that health issues around reproductive health, menopause, and menstruation could affect their career growth.
Without proper and adequate health support, some women feel they need to step back, step down, or step away from their careers, the study found.
Forty percent (40%) of the 1,400 respondents said they had made career-limiting decisions due to health-related concerns or to care for their family. Meanwhile, 10% of working women have left, or are planning to leave, their jobs because of menopausal symptoms.
The Sun Life study also revealed that more than 40% of disability claims for women are for mental disorders versus 30% for men. The study also noted that one of the reasons that trigger women’s mental health concerns is stress associated with reproductive health issues.
Furthermore, the study also noted that 29% of working women felt they needed to lie to their managers about why they were taking sick days for women's health issues.
The study also showed that there has been some lack on the part of employers in dealing with women’s health issues in the workplace.
Only 37% of the respondents said that their employers provided adequate resources and support for their health needs, while only 42% of working women said there was an open culture for discussing women's health at work.
Sun Life Canada's senior vice president for group benefits, Marie-Chantal Côté, said employers must be more proactive in dealing with women's health issues as women play a critical role in Canada’s overall economic and societal growth.
“While we've seen progress breaking through the glass ceiling, support for women's health issues continues to be lacking. We need more awareness and open dialogue. Talking about women's health should be as comfortable as discussing back pain,” she said. “The gender health gap affects not only women but their workplaces and society at large. Prioritizing women's health should be table stakes.”
The Sun Life study suggested employers can better support women by removing the stigma and creating an inclusive work environment for discussing women's health.
Providing the right tools and resources to address women's health challenges is vital. These include benefits like contraceptives, mental health support, physiotherapists and pelvic floor specialists, fertility procedures, and hormone therapy.
The study added that employers offering tools and resources to support women's health must ensure employees know what's available.
Sun Life's executive vice president and chief people and culture officer, Helena Pagano, said that during their consultations, there has been an overwhelming response to women’s health issues.
“We started hosting employee awareness sessions about women's health, and the response has been tremendous. What I hear from everyone, including men, is how illuminating it is to learn about the challenges the women in their lives face,” Pagano said.
"We firmly believe in supporting women's health at Sun Life. Workplaces play a vital role, from offering inclusive benefits to mental health support to hybrid work environments. Supporting people in all of life's moments empowers them to thrive. The gender health gap is a solvable problem that benefits everyone.”
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