By Mercedes Quintanilla.
One of the biggest concerns in the workplace today is how to create and maintain a culture of wellness, especially for women, so it is important to know and understand that women have unique health and wellness needs that often become complicated issues in the work environment.
The situation became more critical due to the pandemic since many women decided not to return to work to take care of their families, others work in home office modalities with increased responsibilities at home and a greater workload in their companies.
The lack of new policies in companies continually forces them to experience more stressful work situations, which can trigger health problems, anxiety, depression and job abandonment, which reduces the possibilities of professional development.
Here are tips that can help make a difference in offices.
1. Improve policies around maternity leave.
In general, maternity leave takes a period of 16 weeks and what is recommended by the ILO (international labor organization) is 18 weeks. It is necessary to expand the coverage of leaves and invest in maternity benefits and, in particular, to finance mandatory social insurance so that employees do not have to assume the economic risk exclusively.
2. Special spaces equipped for the extraction of medical grade milk.
Women need spaces where they can carry out this action without putting their privacy at risk, which is the most important thing. In accordance with the recommendations of the WHO (World Health Organization) and UNICEF, which confirm the broad consensus that breastfeeding is crucial for the health and well-being of the mother and the baby. All companies should not only offer a specific space but also remuneration for a prudent time to suck milk in the workplace in rooms exclusively for this action.
3. Remote work permits with flexible hours.
This allows a better development of a professional career and a balance between work and personal-family life.
COVID-19 brought many changes to women’s lives, they were faced with the reality that their children would be attending face-to-face and virtual classes, which generated even more stress in women’s lives. For this reason it is important that companies offer flexible hours or the opportunity to work remotely when possible, this reduces stress for them and therefore increases their work performance.
4. Free childcare programs at work.
Many women leave their jobs to take care of their children because they do not have access to childcare due to the high costs and the lack of interest on the part of companies to solve this problem. In general, women with families who do not leave their jobs have problems with focus, concentration and stress due to the constant worry that this problem generates and as a result their work performance is affected.
5. Equal pay and opportunities.
It is about ensuring balance in all environments. The company can start with goals to encourage women to reach high corporate positions. The freedom to work, by choice and in conditions of dignity, security and equity, guaranteeing that women enjoy this right is an important objective in itself. On the other hand, this action stops professional segregation, reduces discrimination and harassment based on gender at work.
6. Educational seminars.
Promote continuous education around issues of mental health, work culture, job growth, etc. Including issues of family emotional health, increases the appreciation of a company in the heart of a woman, thus creating a bond of value that not only benefits women but also companies.
7. Mental health.
The mental health of employees of large corporations is a topic that is giving people something to talk about. And it is that, since the application of the new studies of the organizational climate, the well-being of the worker is an essential piece of a business that is becoming increasingly important in these new times of readjustment.
Keys to motivate female talent:
- Inspiring female talent, contributes to appreciation and motivation.
- Promote opportunities for personal and professional growth, true leaders help to discover talents and develop new skills.
- There is nothing that fills an employee with more motivation, happiness and gratitude than receiving a surprise bonus for her work achievements. This can be implemented in a creative way, breaking rigidity often brings great benefits.
Maintaining a quality workforce today is a challenge, making these types of adaptations can be the difference in promoting the progress of women in their field. These changes benefit everyone, it is important to keep these suggestions present among the priorities of the companies.
References.
• Cheryl Brennan, Executive Director for Health and Benefits – Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing. (s.f.). Employers urged to promote women’s health and wellbeing at work. theHRDIRECTOR. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.thehrdirector.com/business-news/health-and-wellbeing/why-employers-need-to-proactively-promote-womens-health-and-wellbeing-at- work/
• Debi O’Donovan, Director, Reward and Employee. (s.f.). Business&Industry. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.businessandindustry.co.uk/employee-wellbeing/a-spotlight-on-womens-wellbeing/upporting-womens-health-in-the-workplace
• ILO. (2018, April). The gender gap in employment: what is holding women back? InfoStories. https://www.ilo.org/infostories/es-ES/Stories/Employment/barriers-women#intro
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