It pays to support women’s health in the workplace

In a letter for The Guardian, Professor Geeta Nargund calls for employers to invest in better support for women's health in the workplace, following the findings of the Keep Britain Working: final report on the cost of worklessness in the UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keep-britain-working-review-final-report/keep-britain-working-final-report).

Professor Nargund highlighted our own findings on ill-health:

"In a report by the NHS Confederation in partnership with our foundation, we found that an estimated £11bn is lost annually due to absenteeism for gynaecological conditions alone."

From our research for our latest report, Time for Change, we also found that:

🔹 34% of women with symptoms or a diagnosis of a women’s health condition say it has affected their ability to work

🔹15% of these women report having had to go down to part time working hours as a result of their symptoms

🔹14% have had to quit a job altogether as a result of these symptoms

We welcome the announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care that the Women's Health Strategy is being renewed. This is an opportunity to provide employers with improved guidelines for supporting women's health in the workplace. We look forward to supporting renewal efforts with our research and policy proposals.

Read the full letter here:

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/nov/09/it-pays-to-support-womens-health-in-the-workplace