Women’s health
at work

Around 16 million women are in work in the UK^†. Some face physical and mental health challenges that affect their wellbeing as well as their ability to perform at their best.

We want women’s health to be higher on the workplace agenda

In 2020, a record 16 million women were in employment in the UK^‡. But women face particular health concerns, and don’t all feel well-supported at work.

Women can’t perform well if they’re exhausted or struggling with physical or mental health symptoms. That’s not good for them, their employer, or for our economy.

So if you’ve ever had a health problem at work but you didn’t feel you could talk to your manager about it, or you want to know how to support your colleagues, we’ve got tools and ideas to help.

Or, if you’re a manager, we have useful guides to promote women’s health at work.

Menopause at work

Almost 8 out of 10 menopausal women are in work^††. Yet almost half of them feel they couldn’t tell their workplace that having to take a day off was because of the menopause. In fact, 1 in 4 women consider leaving their jobs because of the menopause.^‡‡

Menopause should be a subject that’s discussed openly in the workplace. We’d like to see greater understanding, and more women feeling well - and well-supported.

Find out about menopause at work

Endometriosis at work

One in 10 women live with endometriosis, so it affects a large proportion of the workforce. Yet almost four in 10 women with endometriosis fear losing their job because of it, and over a third say they earn less because of it. These were the findings of research into endometriosis which was commissioned by MPs in 2020.^†††

Endometriosis symptoms can be severe and can have a significant impact on confidence and performance at work. Pain, exhaustion, mental health issues and infertility are just a few of the very genuine reasons why endometriosis sufferers may struggle to be productive or may even need time off sick.

Find out more about endometriosis at work