The health requirements of women and men are at times very different. Yet historically this has often been overlooked in the workplace. Nearly 700,000 women are in employment in Wales, however, many face physical and mental health challenges that affect their wellbeing as well as their ability to perform at their best.
Health challenges such as menopause, mental health issues such as post-natal depression and peri-menopausal anxiety, fertility issues and conditions such as endometriosis are frequently unrecognised by employers and yet they can have a significant impact on women’s lives, including in the workplace. Women can also have added pressures from managing caring responsibilities alongside work, whether juggling the requirements of a young family and/or caring for elderly parents and relatives. This can also impact on men, but statistically women tend to bear the brunt of caring responsibilities.
Acknowledging and providing support for women’s health can have a range of benefits to employers such as improved productivity and performance, reducing the chance of increased absenteeism, or even losing valuable female talent. There are a number of actions that employers can take to support their female staff.