BENEFIT EVOLUTION ADVANCEMENTS IN WELLBEING

The world of employee benefits is a constantly evolving proposition and the days of employers simply providing a Healthcare benefit and calling it their Wellbeing Strategy are becoming a thing of the past.

As the world of work continues to progress and grow in the aftermath of the pandemic we are seeing an increasingly diverse approach to companies Wellbeing Strategies, and one area in particular that is becoming a focal point for 2023 is gender specific health cover.

One of the main topics for this benefit area is women’s health, particularly the Menopause, and this is definitely a very important demographic to focus on, with 1 in 10 women leaving their job due to this life event*.

However, did you know that the gender specific health cover is a very broad ranging subject matter which focusses on a very wide variety of areas beyond the Menopause? Over the past 18 months we have worked alongside, and begun new partnerships with, providers who have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of this growing field of expertise, and have shared information with us at advo that has really opened our understanding around so many factors for gender specific healthcare. Whilst this is very detailed, with a wide variety of subject matter for consideration, some of the key areas we have obtained information and understanding on are as follows:

Fertility treatment

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) around 1 in 7 heterosexual couples in the UK will struggle with infertility+, and with access to fertility treatment being very expensive (one course of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) can cost up to £5,000 or more~) it is often beyond the reach of many employees. Through one of our partners, Fertifa, we learnt that 88% of employees who feel unsupported during IVF treatment at work think of leaving their jobs, or do end up leaving. However, it need not be this way. Through supportive benefits, employers can offer support in various ways, either financially by providing support for courses of IVF for example, or alternatively through enabling access to information such as clinical advice and wellbeing support throughout an employee’s fertility journey.

Endometriosis

We were recently given an overview by another of our partners, Syrona Health, who gave a really passionate presentation on this condition. For those not familiar, Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes, and it can effect woman of any age including teenagers.

Unbelievably, Endometriosis is as common as Diabetes, but an average diagnosis can take beyond 6-10 years! It is therefore no great surprise that 1 in 6 employees quit their jobs due to this condition and yet, despite all of this, the condition itself is not spoken about in great detail and therefore the knowledge and understanding, and support offered through the workplace environment, can be limited. Shining a light on this condition, and providing an understanding, safe and caring environment for employees, not just for women, but for fathers, brothers, partners and even sons, to learn more about this debilitating condition, can only be positive for those concerned.

Men’s Health

I am one of those generations that comes from a parenting background of “manly-men” who never spoke about their mental health. Thankfully this trend is changing by each generation, however, unfortunately it is still commonplace to hear people say someone needs to “man-up” which essentially means to bottle your emotions. That, simply put, is unhealthy and unfortunately is a key factor in statistics such as men being 4 times less likely to report ill health being commonplace.

Only by supporting men in the workplace will they feel comfortable to open up and reverse this trend. Referring to some of the subject matters already touched on within this article, and again through working with Syrona Health, it was enlightening to learn that 40% of infertility cases are male, the most affected age demographic to be affected by testicular cancer is 15-49, and 50% of people over 50 suffer with an enlarged prostate. In addition to these, and something until recently I was completely unaware of, is a condition called Andropause, where men in their late 40’s to early 50’s can suffer with a number of conditions such as depression, loss of sex drive, mood swings, insomnia and a general lack of enthusiasm or energy. Sometimes referred to as the “male Menopause”, these symptoms can interfere with everyday life and happiness and it is therefore important to be able to support employees to understand the cause of the problems and what can be done to support this.

When you think about it, we all work with colleagues who contribute to those statistics and categories shared throughout this article. I, for one, am very fortunate that I work for an employer who provides access to the support and information I need to learn more about each of those, and also offer an environment where I am comfortable to discuss by own health. This in turn helps set a precedent in that others will see me, or a colleague, open up and discuss their health which will encourage them to do the same. By doing this we will gradually see a reverse in those statistics and “normalise” gender specific health.

These examples are only a sample of the types of gender specific health cover subject matter that we are seeing as a growing focus within the employee benefits market, and through working with our fantastic partners, two of which I have mentioned in this article, we will continue to learn and understand how important it is to be able to provide access to employees going through these Life events.

Sources:

+ https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg156/chapter/ context#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20 infertility,seeking%20help%20for%20such%20 problems.

* https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/ menopauseandtheworkplace

~ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ivf/