Supporting women's health in the workplace

With Over 50% of the workforce in Hong Kong being female, organisations have come a long way in recognising the importance of supporting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. As organisations become more gender diverse, acknowledging and supporting women’s health in the workplace has become increasingly important, however, there still seems to be a taboo around the subject.

Business leaders need to recognise and address women’s health. Common conditions such as menopause; mental health including post-natal depression and peri-menopausal anxiety and fertility issues are frequently unrecognised in the workplace and there is often a stigma around talking about female health issues despite the rising number of women in the workplace.

Women have made great strides in the workplace, but there are still barriers to overcome and health issues can be one of them.  Many common conditions that impact women are still not talked about in the workplace, which can leave them suffering in silence and reluctant to turn to their manager because they are not sure of the reaction they will receive. For companies this can mean they are not getting the best out of a large proportion of their workforce; it may lead to increased absenteeism or presenteeism with the additional costs this involves as well as developing a reputation as an employer that doesn’t care about its female staff.

It is the responsibility of business leaders to educate both themselves and their teams on women’s health and any issues associated with it. It’s important that managers and leaders are well-educated on the signs and symptoms associated with women’s health that may affect their working life. Knowing how to support this is essential in keeping female employees in the workplace.

This guide to women’s health in the workplace will identify some common health conditions women may face and provide employers with an understanding of how these could impact them throughout their working lives.