Group of happy women enjoying life
Women’s health is a delicate mix of ever-changing hormones that drive everything from debilitating cramps to knife-in-skull headaches to drenching hot-flashes, bloating, and scores of other symptoms – all of this is in addition to physical challenges that can arise during pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond.
Fortunately, women’s health is enjoying a surge of popularity, due to increased public awareness, open conversations, and a gradual breaking down of stigma related to words like “vagina,” “period,” and “menstruation.” Garnering perhaps the most headlines recently is perimenopause, the turbulent phase in a woman’s life, traditionally mentioned only in hushed conversations, when her estrogen fluctuates erratically, driving symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, insomnia, hair loss, memory loss, mood shifts, and even an increase in health risks like heart attack and stroke.
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Menopause, in case you missed the commercial buzz, is defined as when a woman has gone 12 consecutive months without a period. It marks the end of her reproductive years and typically occurs around age 52. Perimenopause, however, begins 8- to 10 years before menopause, usually in a woman’s 40s, and is typically considered more unpredictable and disruptive.
Collectively, employers lose about $1.8 billion each year in missed workdays due to menopause symptoms. It’s understandable, then, that companies are investing more to support women's health in the workplace.
Today’s benefit professionals and HR teams are tasked with choosing and promoting resources that nurture all women at every stage of their health journeys. Comprehensive support to specifically accommodate women during menopause can include:
- Flexible work arrangements, including work-from-home options, adjustable hours or shifts, and time off for appointments or recovery.
- Education and awareness, with training for managers and employees, open conversations, and a focus on available benefits, resources, and unique accommodations for women as they transition through menopause.
- Benefits for healthcare support such as preventive screenings, mental health services, and access to EAP and telehealth resources. Financial benefits like flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) provide tax-advantaged funds for services such as hormone replacement therapy, which are not always covered by insurance.
- Environmental flexibility around fans, air conditioning, and uniform or dress requirements.
- Menopause resources, including accessible and expert information in articles, websites, journals, videos, or podcasts and onsite or online employee resources or support groups.
While it’s exciting to see companies embrace women’s health — from fertility, family planning and care, to menopause and beyond — to optimize engagement in your investments, communicating visibly and often is key. A report on employee engagement with health benefits indicated 63% don’t know how to leverage their company-provided benefits. That’s a big miss for organizations committed to employee health and wellbeing.
Make sure employees are fully informed about all their options. Clearly explain available medical and mental health benefits, and showcase any unique programs dedicated to women’s well-being, such as fertility assistance, maternity leave, child care, and caregiving assistance. Also, feature employee assistance plans (EAPs), which can provide a wealth of women’s health content, including community support resources.
And, don’t overlook financial benefits such as FSAs and HSAs, which can help alleviate costs for care and treatment with tax-advantaged funds. Some online retailers cater to women and offer FSA- and HSA-eligible products and services, including hormone replacement therapies, telehealth support for women’s sexual and reproductive health, and entire categories dedicated to personal care. FSAs and HSAs can also be used to purchase products that support mother and baby health, pain relief, mental health, weight management, sleep health, and a host of other products for menopause and other women’s health conditions.
Accommodating and embracing women across the spectrum of their health care needs and life stages is increasingly considered a corporate imperative as organizations seek to reduce health care costs, increase productivity, retain valuable talent, and maintain resilient and compassionate workplaces.
Jenna Everhart is senior vice president of human resources for Health-E Commerce, parent brand to FSA Store and HSA Store, the first and leading online stores for a guaranteed FSA- and HSA-eligible shopping experience, and a go-to industry source for account education. Ashlie Beiter is vice president of marketing for Winona, a telehealth company specializing in comprehensive care for women going through the menopause transition.
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