Wellbeing of Women has launched a new Employer Membership Programme to support employers of all sizes to prioritise and promote women’s health in the workplace.

Almost six in 10 women over the age of 16 are in work, but millions struggle with health issues such as heavy menstrual bleeding, chronic pelvic pain, endometriosis and the menopause. Sadly, many feel unable to talk about this, especially with their employer, and don’t get the support they need.

A survey of more than 100,000 UK women conducted by the government during the development of the Women’s Health Strategy for England, also found that around one in four felt that a health condition or disability had affected their earnings or promotion opportunities.

Our Wellbeing of Women Employer Membership Programme addresses this pressing need by giving organisations access to practical resources, developed with experts, to help craft and implement policies and other measures to promote and support people’s gynaecological and reproductive health in the workplace, enabling them to thrive professionally.

Janet Lindsay, Chief Executive of Wellbeing of Women, said: “Women’s health is the cornerstone of a healthy society. It can affect everyone, including partners, friends, family, colleagues and bosses, which is why it is so important to ensure the right support is available."

“When we focus on helping people to manage their gynaecological health, everyone benefits – people are more likely to stay with their employer and be motivated to do their best work because they feel heard, respected and supported.  This creates an open, inclusive and diverse environment that can inspire creativity and innovation and increase profitability.”

The Wellbeing of Women Employer Membership Programme provides organisations with an online hub of practical resources, such as:

• factsheets and policy templates to help provide meaningful support
• best practice examples and Q&As
• webinars with women’s health experts to learn from and share.

The launch of our new initiative comes in the wake of our new Just a Period campaign, which aims to increase awareness of period problems and sharing information and resources to give women and girls the answers they need and signposting them to where they can get help.

It also builds on the success of our Menopause Workplace Pledge, which launched in 2021 in partnership with Hello! Magazine and with the support of Bupa. To date, more than 2,500 organisations have signed up to the pledge and are implementing measures that are having a positive impact on millions of workers in the UK and beyond.

To find out more about the Wellbeing of Women Employer Membership Programme, visit https://www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk/get-involved/employer-membership-programme/