Improving Workplace Support for Women's Health Guide

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The Challenge

Across the UK, millions of women navigate pregnancy, postnatal return to work, and menopause while working. Research shows that women experiencing reproductive health-related symptoms frequently report fatigue, pain, mental health strain, or stigma. These issues can negatively influence women’s job satisfaction, career progression, and wellbeing, as well as organisations’ ability to retain high performing top talent.

Employers increasingly recognise that without evidence-based guidance, well-intentioned policies can fall short or fail to translate into meaningful day-to-day support. Yet workplaces often lack the structures and evidence-based knowledge to support women effectively. Employers still face key questions including:

What support is most successful?
How can policies be enacted consistently?
What does good practice look like across different contexts?

Our project set out to answer these questions with evidence — not assumptions.

Why This Matters

Supporting women’s health at work is not only a matter of fairness and wellbeing; it is a workforce sustainability issue. Workplaces that provide informed and evidence-based support can:

Retain skilled and experienced staff.
Reduce sickness absence.
Improve morale and psychological safety.
Enhance organisational inclusion and equity.
Be an employer of choice to expand their  recruitment talent pool.
Lead by reputation.

What We Did

We undertook a comprehensive research programme to understand what successful workplace support for women’s health looks like across pregnancy, postnatal return, and menopause. Our project:

Mapped existing support models and identified gaps.
Reviewed organisational practices to highlight what works and where barriers persist.
Co-designed practical recommendations with employers to ensure feasibility and relevance.
Developed an evidence-informed guide for business leaders and HR professionals to translate insights into action.

Our findings show the specific challenges women face, the conditions that enable effective support, and the interventions most likely to make a meaningful difference.

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Our Output: A Practical Guide for Employers

Drawing on this research, we have created a clear, actionable resource for organisations seeking to strengthen their approach to women’s reproductive health. The guide provides:

The four key pillars for successful workplace support for women’s health.
A framework for organisational action.

Our goal is simple: equip employers with the understanding and confidence needed to create workplaces where women feel valued, supported, and able to thrive.

Download the guide