Health and wellbeing | Better support for women in the workplace

Published on November 14, 2024

By: Jade Bellemare
Director, Communication and Marketing
Group Benefits and Retirement Solutions
iA Financial Group

Although workplace health and wellness programs have made significant progress in recent years, they do not always meet the specific needs of women.

Historically, most group benefits programs were designed with a universal approach that did not prioritize the specific needs of women. Health conditions such as obesity and typically female problems such as endometriosis and menopause have not been given sufficient consideration in the development of group insurance plans.

For example, some plans cover hormone therapy, but not always bio-identical hormones. A study conducted by Deloitte in 2023 revealed that one in ten women leaves the labour market because of untreated menopause symptoms.¹

Over the last 12 to 18 months, we have also seen the emergence of coverages for adoption, surrogacy and fertility treatments. In this respect, iA Financial Group now offers inclusive coverages for gender affirmation and family support.

The mental health challenges faced by women are also a very important issue. Women are more likely to suffer from certain mental health problems which, in many cases, lead to longer-term disability. This has consequences not only for their personal and family lives, but also for the productivity of organizations.

Concrete solutions

I would argue that there are practical ways of tackling health problems specific to women, such as training, education and awareness in the workplace. I also think we need to make employees aware of health problems that are specific to women and develop a culture that allows them to feel comfortable talking about their problems and finding solutions with their managers.

Let me also stress the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion policies, as well as resource groups specifically designed for women within organizations. These are also good ways of finding out about women's needs and finding solutions.

Finally, to improve their support for women, organizations could, for example, offer flexible working arrangements to facilitate work-life balance. Family responsibilities still fall mainly on women, so organizations need to find a balance to enable them to fulfil their potential at work too.