Employers with limited knowledge of the gender health split at work are setting themselves up for increased and avoidable employee absences.
This was a key finding in the HCML Corporate Health and Wellbeing report, which showed that a lack of understanding of the different needs between genders is adding to workplace absence.
The research, with 503 employees and 200 HR professionals, showed that overall more than half of respondents said they needed more health support from their employer.
The split between men and women became apparent when survey respondents were asked how their employer could provide better support.
More than a third (35 percent) of women would like support with weight issues compared to 26 percent of men.
Two-fifths of men (40 percent) would like help to improve their productivity at work, while almost a third (29 percent) of women would like specific menopause support from their employers.
Researchers said that while “gender stereotyping is generally unhelpful, the differing needs of men and women contribute to health and wellbeing differences” at work.
Pamela Gellatly, strategic development director at HCML, said that age is a key metric for understanding workplace absence, but added that it was critical to consider gender as well. She said that employers who don’t look at age and gender in relation to health and absence were missing the bigger picture.
Little support for older men
More than half of all employees look after their health and wellbeing to help improve their mood and overall mental health, with this being more of a focus for women (56 percent) than men (49 percent).
“We know from recent research that 18-24 year olds experience more mental ill health than other age groups, and that young women are more likely to experience common mental health disorders than men,” said Gellatly.
“It’s encouraging to see from our research that young women are interested in proactively looking after their health and wellbeing, as mental health can be more effectively managed through activity and good nutrition.”
But she added: “While workplace support has generally improved for female focused health concerns such as the menopause, there is little support for the health conditions that men face with ageing. For example, falling testosterone levels as men age can lead to low mood, poor concentration and short-term memory amongst other symptoms, which can impact on absence and presenteeism. These symptoms can be alleviated through nutrition support and strength and conditioning, enabling men to take control of improving their health.”
Gellatly urged all employers to consider the differing needs of the whole workforce, adding that the HCML report has highlighted that “gender drives the different types of support needed to mitigate workplace absence”.
For example, 44 percent of women said they are more likely to stay in a job that offers health and wellbeing benefits such as nutrition and managing the menopause, she explained,
“This signals that many women are thinking ahead when it comes to their health and wellbeing, and suggests that employers who offer this type of support may see better retention with female employees.”
The data also suggested inconsistencies in what employers think are the best solutions to safeguard employee health and wellbeing and what employees feel would help support them.
It found that less than a third of employers offer nutritional support for employers, despite nearly half of employees saying this is an important factor for them to look after their health and wellbeing.
