May is Women’s Health Month, which is the perfect time to discuss the mental health of women in the workforce. Nearly two-thirds of Canadian women are employed, making up almost half of our country’s entire workforce1. Despite representing a significant portion of employees, women are underrepresented in terms of mental health support.
Challenges Facing Women in the Workforce
Women face unique psychological, biological, and social challenges in the workforce, including:
- Fertility issues
- Preparing for and returning from maternity leave
- Caregiving
- Hormonal transitions, including perimenopause and menopause
- Gender inequality
- LGBTQiA2S+ discrimination
- Financial concerns upon retirement
Throughout a woman’s career, she must deal with these issues while maintaining employment and balancing work and home life, all the while trying to protect her mental health. That’s why it’s important for leaders to acknowledge and accommodate the mental health needs of their employees.
Tips for Today’s Leaders
- Accommodate. Now more than ever, employees – both male and female – expect one very important perk at work: accommodations. Whether it’s working remotely, having a flexible schedule, or maintaining a realistic workload, female employees deserve work-life balance just as much as anyone.
Allowing employees to adjust their start and end times to accommodate daycare or school pick-ups and drop-offs can make a world of difference by reducing the stress of juggling personal and family commitments. Beyond family responsibilities, acknowledging and accommodating women to practice self-care as they face gender inequality, harassment, and the invisible workload can give them essential support.
2. Care. One of the major differences that elevate leaders above managers is their effort to care. Caring might sound like an abstract or even ambiguous action, but you can show your employees that you care about their mental health by simply listening and offering support.
If one of your employees is struggling to wrap up a big project before going on maternity leave (while dealing with changes to her physical and emotional health, no less), ask how you or the rest of your team can support her by contributing to the project. This will help your employee feel supported and encouraged to succeed as a team member.
3. Thank. Tokens of appreciation can come in the form of a financial gift, time off, a free lunch, or even a quick yet sincere “thank you.” Whichever of these signs of gratitude you are able to give an employee will speak volumes to your character as a leader, and will show your employee that her contributions, even during challenging times of transition, are not going unnoticed.
If you notice that a working mom is exhausted from balancing caregiving duties and work responsibilities, it might take a weight off her shoulders one Friday afternoon if you say, “I appreciate all of the work you’ve done this week. Why don’t you wrap up what you’re working on and leave a bit early?” Extra time before a weekend to spend with her family, run errands, or simply practice self-care is a token of appreciation that every leader can afford to give a valued employee.
Ultimately, leaders can help make the difference between an employee’s ability to thrive in the workplace and burnout from stress. As a leader, you can encourage an open and honest conversation with your employees to ensure they feel heard, understood, and supported.
Learn more about employee mental health by visiting homewoodpathfinder.com