Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

GenderSickness absence managementReproductive healthWellbeing and health promotionMenopause

Third of women feel unsupported over health issues at work

by Nic Paton 26 Oct 2023
by Nic Paton 26 Oct 2023 Two-thirds of women have experienced a period of poor health while at work, according to research, yet a third have felt unsupported
Shutterstock
Two-thirds of women have experienced a period of poor health while at work, according to research, yet a third have felt unsupported
Shutterstock

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%).

Women’s health

‘Landmark’ women’s health survey slammed for excluding over-55s

‘Silent and growing’ crisis in women’s health at work, warns BOHS

NHS to roll out women’s health ‘hubs’

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.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

 

Nic Paton

Nic Paton is consultant editor at Personnel Today. One of the country's foremost workplace health journalists, Nic has written for Personnel Today and Occupational Health & Wellbeing since 2001, and edited the magazine from 2018.

previous post
Emergency services worst for hearing loss risk
next post
CIPD people profession survey: tech advances not having a large impact in UK

You may also like

Uncertainty over law hampering legal use of medical...

20 May 2025

Employers ‘worryingly’ ignorant about stress risk assessments

20 May 2025

Awareness weeks fuel spike in demand for mental...

19 May 2025

Healthcare workers prioritise mental health support in new...

12 May 2025

Tool developed for employers to calculate cost of...

28 Apr 2025

Why employers must do more to support all...

24 Apr 2025

NHS to expand GP scheme enabling greater access...

16 Apr 2025

Computer says no: IT woes giving employees sleepless...

15 Apr 2025

Access to Work backlogs and delays costing businesses...

14 Apr 2025

Nearly half did not take even one full...

14 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today