Take a moment to reflect on what you can accomplish in seven seconds.
Clocking in for the day, responding to a quick email, topping off your water or coffee—all tasks that can easily be completed without a second thought.
In the time it takes you to book a doctor’s appointment, a woman or baby dies from pregnancy complications, childbirth, or the first weeks after birth—equivalent to over 4.5 million deaths per year, according to a report from the World Health Organization.
This sobering statistic gives us a small glimpse into the critical gaps in women's health that companies are racing to address. But traditional, one-dimensional methods of intervention and support that were previously effective aren’t cutting it in an increasingly spread out, diverse, and multigenerational work landscape.
Even the smallest forms of intervention can catch warning signs early and streamline care delivery to the right people—so long as they’re tailored to the unique experiences of female employees. By assessing your workplace’s female population and the specific health issues that are preventing them from thriving, you can vet and tailor the right benefits solutions, lessen everyday health struggles, and watch wellbeing outcomes soar.
Let's examine which health benefits are surging in demand among female professionals—and how they can blend seamlessly into your wellness program/
The Cost of Overlooking Women's Health at Work
It’s not uncommon for women to keep sensitive health issues private at work—but ignoring ongoing issues like menopause, endometriosis, and more could cost organizations billions.
The gap between what women need and what’s typically offered in benefit designs has ample room for improvement, considering:
- 80% of women report their workplace benefits don't adequately address their specific health concerns
- Less than 5% of employers offer targeted menopause benefits, despite nearly a quarter of the global workforce being menopausal women
- Only a third of companies provide comprehensive maternity benefits that extend beyond leave (i.e. lactation support, childcare stipends, flexible schedules)
Beyond the obvious moral case of amplifying women’s health struggles, the dollars and cents of these issues create a financial wake-up call for businesses still sitting on the sidelines. With 63% of women preferring to work for employers that offer more thoughtful health benefits, tailoring care doesn’t just save lives—it preserves retention.
Studies show the direct impact health issues like menopause, endometriosis, and pelvic pain have on women and businesses across industries:
- Menopause symptoms cost U.S. businesses an estimated $1.8 billion annually in lost working time and healthcare costs.
- Endometriosis drains approximately $11,000 per affected employee each year through absenteeism and presenteeism.
- 66-71% of pelvic pain patients also battle anxiety and depression, creating a compound effect on productivity, engagement, and healthcare costs.
This disconnect leaves women feeling unsupported precisely when they need workplace accommodations the most. But the reality isn’t so grim—companies with robust women's health programs enjoy nearly 25% lower turnover rates among female employees.
From infertility and menopause support to resources for unique issues like endometriosis and pelvic pain, let’s take a look at which solutions can transform siloed wellness offerings into She-Cuites for women’s health.
Menopause Support: The Billion-Dollar Blind Spot
Menopausal women represent one of the fastest-growing demographics in today's workforce. With women ages 45-64 making up 17.5% of the U.S. labor force, issues that were once whispered about in bathroom stalls are starting to make their way to the board room.
Menopause hits women precisely when their careers are peaking—typically between ages 45-55, when many hold key leadership positions. Despite this timing, the support gap is astounding: 64% of women want menopause-specific benefits, yet only 15% of U.S. companies currently offer them.
The economic consequences? A whopping $1.8 billion in missed workdays annually due to menopause symptoms. Even more alarming, one in ten women leave their jobs entirely because of menopause symptoms—creating a talent exodus exactly when these employees possess invaluable institutional knowledge.
The symptoms hitting working women the hardest paint a clear picture of the drain caused by menopause:
- 54% experience fatigue
- 47% endure sleeping difficulties
- 44% face poor concentration
- 40% grapple with memory issues
The good news? Utilizing key resources within a comprehensive wellness platform can tackle menopausal symptoms one-by-one—elevating everyday health struggles into everyday wellness priorities. Sleep hygiene and mental stimulation activities native to a wellness platform can enable women to focus on specific symptoms while gradually building healthier habits over time.
In addition to micro-habit builders, larger practical benefits can also address menopausal challenges head-on, such as:
- Virtual healthcare access with specialists trained specifically in menopause care
- Flexible working arrangements that accommodate symptom management
- Dedicated leave policies for managing severe symptoms
- Educational resources including webinars and clinically-vetted information
💡 Pro Tip: Women consistently rank manager awareness about menopause as their most valued workplace support. Manager training often costs less than other wellness benefits while delivering outsized returns in employee loyalty and productivity.
Virtual Doulas: The Answer to Maternal Support Gaps
Pregnancy and childbirth represent some of life's most pivotal moments, yet traditional support structures often leave working women navigating these waters alone.
Enter virtual doulas—the fastest-growing solution in women's health that's designed to transform maternal care while addressing critical workplace productivity challenges.
Virtual doulas serve as non-clinical professionals who provide continuous emotional, physical, and informational support throughout pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum periods—all through digital mediums. In addition to offering remote support that maintains the quality standards of traditional doulas, these digital support systems break down accessibility barriers, reaching employees wherever and whenever they need care.
What's more, research shows that connecting with a doula virtually actually increases the likelihood of reporting better birth experiences, including stronger support for delivery preferences and higher-quality emotional care.
Through focused video appointments lasting up to 20 minutes, these specialists help expectant parents:
- Create personalized birth plans tailored to individual needs
- Learn positioning techniques for labor comfort and effectiveness
- Develop self-advocacy skills for medical interactions
The truth is, virtual doulas do more than just offer guidance—they provide guidance before, during, and after birth, serving as invaluable mentors during all stages of parenthood. This brings a human element to healthcare navigation that traditional benefits simply can't match.
The accessibility factor alone makes virtual doula services a game-changer for working women. Unlike traditional in-person support that requires travel and extended appointments, virtual sessions eliminate geographical barriers and slash costs, extending this crucial service to more employees than ever before.
💡 Pro Tip: Companies promoting virtual doula services find that participants become strong internal champions for the benefit, creating organic word-of-mouth that boosts overall program engagement.
Endometriosis Care: The Invisible Energy Drain
Endometriosis affects nearly 15% of women globally, yet remains virtually invisible in most workplace benefit designs.
On top of experiencing daily pain, excessive fatigue, and digestive issues, women battling endometriosis also experience professional obstacles due to symptoms. Nearly 40% of women with endometriosis report impaired career growth due to the disease, with 50% tracing performance difficulties directly to pain symptoms.
While this chronic condition silently drains productivity, employers that are willing to address it are investing in specialized programs that provide targeted care while delivering measurable returns. From care leave policies that provide menstruation-related time off to manager training on recognizing signs of distress, investing wellness dollars in the right resources can prevent women from suffering in silence.
As a result, organizations providing comprehensive health support for endometriosis report up to a 25-30% decrease in medical and absenteeism costs, turning these programs into profit generators.
Above all, employers must combat stigma by encouraging open dialog about endometriosis while respecting privacy. Organizations addressing women's health topics like endometriosis collectively report that women are significantly more likely to recommend their employer as a great place to work, strengthening recruiting capabilities alongside retention.
Pelvic Pain Alleviation: The Hidden Productivity Thief
Pelvic pain lurks as the hidden productivity drain most employers never see coming.
Affecting nearly a quarter of women at some point in their lives, often after giving birth, this condition remains the perfect example of healthcare's gender bias—where 80% of chronic pain patients are women, yet 70% of chronic pain research focuses on men.
Women battling moderate to severe pelvic pain lose an average of 3.6 hours of productivity through absenteeism and another 3.2 hours through presenteeism. And when symptoms gang up, the impact multiplies—women experiencing three concurrent pelvic pain symptoms show dramatically greater productivity losses than colleagues with one or two symptoms.
Little by little, employers are recognizing pelvic pain as an increasingly imperative issue worth solving. Current approaches favor multidisciplinary strategies, since effective management requires tackling various contributing factors. Practical workplace accommodations that deliver results include:
- Flexible scheduling for physical therapy (with 46% of patients starting their journey with pelvic floor physical therapy)
- Access to quiet spaces where employees can manage symptoms during the workday
The business case becomes even stronger when considering the mental health connection—with nearly 75% of pelvic pain patients also battling anxiety and depression, creating programs with targeted care positively benefits productivity, engagement, and healthcare costs.
Help Pave Working Women’s Path to Holistic Wellbeing
Gone are the days of stigmatizing working women’s health issues. Targeted, flexible, and comprehensive benefits are the key to mitigating hidden health struggles and putting wellness at the forefront for all.
From shorter recovery times, reduced healthcare costs, and faster returns to productivity, employers and employees stand to reap the benefits of targeted healthcare. Wondering where your wellness program fits in the equation? Reach out today and help your workforce carve their own way to wellbeing.
