Women’s use of health benefits can influence workplace outcomes such as attendance, retention and productivity, according to a Nov. 6 report from the Integrated Benefit Institute.
For instance, 89% of employed U.S. women said employer benefits positively influence overall workplace satisfaction, and 85% said benefits play a crucial role in attracting and retaining talent.
In particular, benefit use was associated with fewer missed workdays, with the greatest effects seen from mental health benefits, reproductive health services and maternity care.
“This reveals a powerful link between mental health support and workplace attendance,” Sera-Leigh Ghouralal, the lead researcher of the study, said in a statement. “It’s clear that investing in comprehensive mental health support isn’t just good for employee well-being — it’s a strategic approach to maintaining a productive, engaged workforce.”
In a survey of more than 1,000 full-time employed women across various industries, preventive care was the most commonly used benefit, with 63% of respondents saying they access it. After that, 54% said they used mental health support.
The highest rates of benefit use occurred among women between ages 30-39, with the highest usages in the healthcare, education and technology industries. Women with higher incomes between $100,000-$150,000 reported more frequent benefit use as well.
Top barriers to benefit use included cost, time constraints and scheduling difficulties. Women between ages 40-50 reported the highest challenges across all barriers, while middle-income women encountered the most barriers.
Reproductive health benefits — including fertility treatments and menopausal support — can help retain women in the workplace, HR experts told HR Dive. As HR teams become more involved in shaping the “people” part of business, benefits can be directly tied to holistic health, employee satisfaction and retention.
When workplaces lack complete benefits packages, they often lose out on talent, especially mothers and older women in leadership, according to a British Standards Institute report. Employers should “ask women what they want” and “partner with employees to embed a supportive culture,” the researchers said.