Women make up nearly half of Canada’s workforce, confirms Statistics Canada. Yet, many workplaces still aren’t set up to meet their unique health needs. A new report provides insights and strategies for all organizations.
Learn more about the health gaps women can face in the workplace and find actionable solutions in Manulife’s comprehensive women’s health report.
Is a problem hiding in plain sight?
Look around at your next team meeting or brainstorm session. You might see a productive and engaged group of colleagues chatting with one another. You might see capable professionals brainstorming or hashing out a problem. You might see a group of high performers doing what they can to bring their “A” game to work.
Here’s what you may not be able see: the exhaustion a member of your team is feeling from managing yet another IVF cycle, which she’s gone into debt to pay for. Or the intense pelvic pain one of her colleagues is silently suffering from, caused by a condition that may take another five years to diagnose. Or a VP’s quiet panic as she tries to mask another round of heart palpitations, wondering if it’s a serious heart problem, an anxiety attack, or yet another symptom of perimenopause.
Research by McKinsey Health Institute in 2025 shows women spend 24 per cent more time in poor health than men. And they are 18 per cent more likely to fear professional repercussions from sharing health concerns at work, according to a 2024 Tebra survey. This lack of visibility into what someone is bearing privately means employers, and even colleagues, may underestimate the impact on careers, productivity, and the economy.
When women’s health needs go unmet, organizations may face higher turnover, lower engagement, and lost talent. Consider these numbers:
- 40 per cent of women contemplate leaving their jobs after parental leave (Moms at Work 2021 Maternity Leave Experience Report).
- 70 per cent of employed mothers don’t feel sufficiently supported by their employers (Maturn 2024 Expecting More Special Report).
- One in 10 women cite lack of employer support during menopause as a factor for exiting an organization (Menopause Foundation of Canada 2023 Menopause and Work in Canada Report).
Supporting women’s health isn’t just the right thing to do, it is an imperative. Employers who take action can strengthen workforce resilience, improve retention, and enhance competitiveness. Not only that—closing the women’s health gap could boost Canada’s economy by $37 billion annually by 2040, states McKinsey Health Institute.
Helping women thrive
Manulife has partnered with leading experts from Cleveland Clinic Canada, Maven Clinic, CAMH, and Waterloo Region’s Health Clinic’s PREVENT Clinic to create a comprehensive report, Women’s Health and Work: Unlocking a More Resilient Workplace.
This report explores:
- The roots of the women’s health gap and how it shows up today.
- Its impact on individuals and organizations.
- Practical steps employers can take to close the gap and support women through key life stages, from fertility and family-building to midlife and menopause.
By addressing these issues, plan sponsors can play a pivotal role in helping create a workforce where women and businesses thrive.
Read Manulife’s full women’s health report here.
Benefits Alliance thanks Manulife, a platinum preferred solutions provider, for contributing this article.