Women’s Health and Workplace Wellness Programs

26 Jul Women’s Health and Workplace Wellness Programs

The “always-on work culture” of the 21st century workplace coupled with the added stress of looking after household duties like cooking, cleaning and taking care of the children are adversely affecting mental and physical well-being of today’s women. Women workers around the world report feeling overwhelmed because of heavy workloads. It is for this reason that women-centric workplace wellness programs are the need of the day.

A recent survey conducted by PEW Research Center on the nature and demographics of workers in 114 countries around the globe revealed that women make up a significant portion (80%) of the workforce. Workplace wellness programs designed specifically for women help them become more meaningful contributors to the organization. Following are some of the most important ways in which workplace wellness programs can be designed to meet the needs of the women:

• Health Seminars: Organization-wide health seminars can be conducted including healthcare providers, fitness experts and nutritionists specializing in women’s health to provide important information to women on a range of issues including gynecological and reproductive health issues, breast cancer, mental health issues, etc.
• On-site personal trainers: On-site personal trainers can provide working women with one-on-one coaching and design custom fitness programs for these women that take into account their health condition and nutritional requirements.
• Psychological Counselling: For new mothers and for mothers to be, psychological counseling is extremely essential for their improved mental health and emotional wellbeing. Since these are emotionally turbulent periods in the life of women emotional support through psychological counseling will only help them in navigating through this difficult phase in life.

Women’s health is an oft-neglected issue. When it comes to the workplace, this issue gets even more complicated as women have to face the stresses of work along with managing their health problems. Under such circumstances, the introduction of women-centric wellness programs at work becomes absolutely essential that can not only help women cope but help them become more valuable organizational contributors.