How can employee benefits empower women to thrive throughout their work life?

Women's participation in the workforce has seen remarkable progress over the decades, but recent trends suggest that this progress is facing new challenges.

In the third quarter of 2024, UK female employment was 72.1% (compared to 77.6% for men).  In 1971, when the Office For National Statistics began collecting data, the number of women in work was just 52.8%. There are similar patterns in other parts of the world, too. For example, the number of personnel managers in Finland skyrocketed from 17% in 1970, to 70% in 1990. In Canada, the proportion of women in work nearly doubled to reach 60% by the early 1990s. Some of those changes will be because of demographic factors, such as changes to state pension age, but overall, this has been a positive trend.

But we are now seeing a slight reversal in the number of women in the workplace, partly driven by social trends, like having to care for ill or disabled older relatives.  In 2019, a record 72.4% of women were in work – but with an ageing population putting additional care needs predominantly onto women, some are having to leave, find part-time roles or work with an employer that embraces flexible working.

In regions such as Asia- Pacific, there is a very different picture.  Across all subregions, women  worked less paid hours than men. In South Asia, in 2023, for example, women worked an average of 36 hours a week, compared to 50 for men.

Although in regions including Japan, there has been heavy emphasis on reducing inequalities in gender pay (Japan had the highest gender pay gap in the world at almost 25% in 2023.), employee benefits that genuinely support women are still a work in progress in all regions of the world. Moving from programmes designed for a one-size-fits-all, predominantly male, workforce to those that suit the needs of women across all life stages, still needs a shift in thinking and in benefits strategy design. 

Truly flexible working

Since April 2024, employees have had the right to request flexible working from day 1 of employment, but there’s still more that employers can do to support them. According to the CIPD’s Flexible and Hybrid Working in 2023 Research, 37% work from home on a regular basis, and 31% have access to informal flexibility in their role.

The report asked what further flexible arrangements would help them most in their role.  Almost half (46%) said a four-day week, 40% informal flexibility, 39% flexitime and working from home on a regular/ad hoc basis (also 39%).

But designing women’s benefits for a multi-generational workforce goes beyond support for parents and elder carers.  For example, Generation Z has shown that its expectations of the workforce and its experiences of life are very different from their predecessors. They are more likely to be digitally and climate aware, and value honesty and trust at work and beyond, and want benefits that match those values.

Accelerating action for all women

Accelerating action for women means thinking differently across businesses of all types and sizes. From an employee benefits perspective, businesses need to design programmes that are genuinely valuable for women of different age groups and demographic backgrounds.

Women are less likely than men to say that they thrive at work, less likely to feel safe mental-health wise, and less likely to say that their employer cares about their wellbeing. The last few years have also seen women (especially single mothers) hit hardest by financial challenges. We want to change that picture so that women are well supported financially by their benefits at all stages of their career. 

There are also many ways in which women’s career paths differ from men’s.  Although shared parental leave is slowly becoming more acceptable, it is still women who are most likely to spend time out of the workforce as carers – either with young children or to look after older relatives. Reskilling for women returning to the workplace, and financial support with eldercare, can help offset the impact of career interruptions, as can support with other financial aspects, such as paying off student loans or offering pension top-ups.  

A healthy, happy workforce

Supporting women’s health throughout their careers is key to retention, productivity, and long-term career progression.  Women-specific conditions like endometriosis, fibroids and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are on the rise. Lifestyle choices and environmental factors are contributing to this increase.  For instance, it is a lesser-known fact that women who consume three to six drinks of alcohol per week face a 15% higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who do not drink it.

Women experience higher rates of mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety and some mental health disorders are unique to women, such as postpartum depression and mood disturbances in the perimenopausal stage.  These conditions can be exacerbated by pressures created by multiple roles such as family responsibility and other caregiving roles. Younger generations are already feeling the strain—Generation Z struggles with mental health more than previous generations.

Menopausal transition increases the risk factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death in women globally. 

While medical treatments are an important aspect of management, lifestyle factors play a significant role both in the prevention and management of many of the risks women experience.  A healthy diet, regular exercise, stress management, quality sleep and avoidance of tobacco and alcohol have been shown to improve health outcomes and quality of life, resulting in decreased rates of absenteeism and enhanced workplace performance. 

Despite growing awareness, workplace support for these issues is still lacking.  Addressing these gaps is essential to ensuring that women can remain in the workforce and progress in their careers. 

Creating a truly inclusive and supportive workplace for women requires more than just policies—it demands intentional action. By designing benefits that address women’s diverse needs at every life stage, employers can foster a workforce where women feel valued, empowered, and equipped to thrive.