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Women in the workplace: Understanding their unique health and wealth concerns

Address women's unique health and wealth concerns by creating tailored benefits strategies that support their mental, reproductive, and financial wellness. Here’s 3 actions employers should take.

24/02/2025 · 5 minute read

Employers should aim to provide benefits that support the needs of their entire workforce. However, creating a benefits strategy that works for everyone requires a deep understanding of the varying needs and preferences of different employee groups. While many basic needs are shared, there are also differing realities that employers should take into account when designing their offerings to ensure all employees can thrive. 

At a fundamental level, an individual’s gender lends itself to certain health, social, and financial outcomes. Women, for example, face different health risks and more significant financial challenges compared to men. Addressing these differences requires targeted strategies designed to ensure a healthier and more productive workplace for all. 

The need for targeted benefits

One key area where gender differences can arise is in health outcomes. Mercer Marsh Benefit’s (MMB’s) 2025 Health on Demand research reveals that 31% of female employees report a disability or health condition, compared to 28% of male employees. Mental health is a particular concern: women are four percent more likely than men to report experiencing a mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression (17% vs. 13%).

Yet, regular benefits packages may lack the levels of support that individuals require. MMB’s 2025 Health Trends research found that fewer than half of insurers typically include coverage for psychological and/or psychiatric counseling sessions (47%) or inpatient treatment (43%), for example, while just a third include virtual mental health counseling (33%) or coverage for medications prescribed for mental health (33%). In addition, the number of counseling sessions offered in benefits packages seems to be insufficient — with most plans covering only an average of between five to 10 sessions per year in 2025. Moreover, although over half of insurers globally offer menopause care and support, only 22% do so as a default.

These gaps in coverage reflect a broader trend: standard benefits packages often fail to account for the unique health challenges faced by women, particularly in the areas of mental health and reproductive health. A tailored approach to women's health benefits would lead to more equitable outcomes.

Figure 1. Universal women's health issues

Source: Mercer Marsh Benefits, Health on Demand 2023 report

The graphic emphasizes the importance of considering social and financial disparities, caregiving expectations, family health decision making, and health system bias, and presents a visual representation of various universal women's health issues, categorized into several key areas:

  1. Cancer: Includes breast cancer, ovarian and cervical cancer.
  2. Maternal health: Includes family building and pregnancy.
  3. Violence: Focuses on gender-based violence, including intimate partner abuse and sexual violence.
  4. Sexual and reproductive health: Covers topics such as sexually transmitted infections, menopause, and contraception.
  5. Mental health: Highlights gender-specific mental health concerns, including postpartum depression and other mental health issues that may affect women.
  6. Non-communicable health diseases: Encompasses conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis, and other health issues related to pregnancy.

The financial strain of healthcare

This default lack of coverage in benefits packages is reflected in women’s greater level of concern when it comes to paying for healthcare. MMB’s 2025 Health on Demand data reveals that more than a quarter (26%) of women say they are not confident they can afford the healthcare that they and their family may need, compared to fewer than one in five (18%) men. This financial insecurity can create a vicious cycle: stress related to finances could exacerbate health issues, leading to even higher medical expenses — which in turn leads to ever greater levels of financial concern.

Given these findings, employers have a valuable opportunity to provide women's health benefits that address these specific concerns, particularly in relation to mental health and financial well-being. A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to benefits may fall short, especially as the workforce continues to evolve and diversify in its needs. To truly support their employees, employers should consider developing inclusive, tailored healthcare offerings that address the distinct challenges women encounter both in the workplace and in their personal lives.

With that in mind, for clients interested in pursuing this strategy, as a starting point, we recommend introducing or extending:

  • Mental health coverage — including counselling services, both in-person and virtual, along with coverage for medications. This will help ensure that employees have access to the care they need to manage their mental health effectively.
  • Financial wellness programs — including resources on budgeting, debt management, saving for retirement, and healthcare planning. This can help to alleviate financial insecurities and help women to feel more confident in their financial futures.
  • Menopause and reproductive health support — including coverage for hormone replacement therapy, counseling for menopause-related symptoms, and additional resources to support employees during this transition.

Addressing the needs of men supports women too

When employees are healthy and well, their families and colleagues benefit.  With that in mind, key to supporting women’s health is also prioritizing the unique challenges of men. MMB’s 2025 Health on Demand research reveals that 43% of men express concerns about feeling a lack of fulfilment and purpose in life; 36% are concerned about loneliness; and 30% say they value treatment for substance dependency and abuse. MMB’s 2024 People Risk research found that a third (33%) of HR and risk managers are concerned that their employer-provided emotional well-being programs cannot sufficiently meet the growing need for support.  As we point out earlier, additional mental health benefits, financial wellness resources are a fantastic way to support women within the workforce, but men can gain from these as well.  

The need for a comprehensive, tailored approach

When developing an employee benefits strategy, employers should seek to create a supportive environment for all employees, recognizing that both genders face unique and overlapping challenges. By recognizing workplace diversity and the different challenges that both men and women face in their personal and professional lives, employers can successfully adapt their employee benefits offerings accordingly. Of course, these adaptations should be mindful of the dynamic regulatory environment around the world, and should be defensible and legal in all countries where they operate.  Whether it is enhancing mental health support, providing resources for managing financial security or offering tailored care for specific health needs, employers can create an effective employee benefits strategy that meets the varied realities of their workforce. By doing so, they will not only improve employee well-being, but also cultivate a more productive, engaged, and loyal workforce.

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Health Trends 2025 report

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About the authors

Carolina Gomez

Carolina Gomez

MMB Multinational Leader, Latin America and the Caribbean, Mercer Marsh Benefits

  • Colombia

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