Third of women feel unsupported over health issues at work

More than two-thirds of women (68%) have experienced a period of poor physical or mental health while at work, yet a third (29%) feel they have been left to struggle because of an unsupportive employer.

The damning finding has come within economic modelling from AXA Health and the Centre of Economic and Business Research (CEBR), which has also calculated that neglecting women’s health at work in this way is self-defeating, as it costs the UK economy £20.2bn a year.

The research found the situation was even worse when it comes to women-specific health issues, such as endometriosis, fertility, menopause and periods. In this scenario, 36% of the women polled said they felt their employer had not been supportive.

The fear of hindering career growth (46%) and being forced to leave the workforce prematurely (48%) were among the top concerns for women.

Personal finances are also affected, with 83% of those polled having been affected in some way. For example, more than half (52%) said they had had to take time off work, nearly a quarter had missed a promotion (22%), and one in five had settled for lower pay (20%).

Nine in ten (90%) reported having struggled emotionally. Almost half (46%) said they had gone through times of feeling helpless, more than one in four (43%) had experienced reduced motivation at work, and a third (31%) felt they had lost their independence (31%). Some had even been forced to become financially dependent on their partner (19%).

Women working part time harboured heightened concerns when it came to addressing their health-related issues, surpassing the worries of their full-time counterparts.

For instance, 61% were anxious about having prematurely to exit the workplace, exceeding the average by 19%. Additionally, 52% feared their career progression would be hindered, rising to 64% among those who worked fewer than eight hours a week.

More broadly, while only 17% who worked full time felt that discussions about women’s health were not supported in their workplaces, this increased to almost a quarter (23%) among those employed part time.

Dr Pallavi Bradshaw, deputy chief medical officer at AXA Health, said: “While companies certainly still have a way to go in addressing women’s health at work, there is promise in the increased willingness of women to discuss their health concerns with colleagues and managers.

“For example, our women’s health report found that 60% of women who talked about their health found their employers to be supportive, whether this be through time off, offering counselling or making adaptations to the workplace.

“These developments are positive, but as we delve further into the findings, it becomes evident that concerns extend beyond just health issues. A striking 53% of the women we surveyed voiced that, within their workplaces, women often shoulder more unplanned responsibilities – such as caring for loved ones – than their male counterparts.

“Forward strides may be being made, but the economic impact of neglecting women’s health is still significant, emphasising the need for more education, robust workplace policies, and talent retention initiatives,” Dr Bradshaw added.