Women, work and well-being, a priority for companies

March 3, 2021 5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

One of the aspects that we urgently need to address is the integration of the physical, mental and emotional health agenda in teams led or made up of women , especially in this new environment, since according to the Inter-American Commission of Women ( CIM ) of the OAS, due to the effects of the pandemic, one in four women in high-level positions is thinking about reducing their job responsibilities, taking leave or leaving the workforce entirely.

It would be a high impact impact both on businesses and on own companies. Take into account that, according to the International Monetary Fund ( IMF ), if Latin American countries have female labor force participation, GDP per capita can increase up to 10%

Strengthening a work culture of greater well-being should have a direct impact on the job retention of teams made up and led by women. Consider the survey conducted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) among 13,000 companies from 70 countries that was published in May 2019: 60% of those participating companies reported that they had increased their profitability by up to 20% thanks to the work of women in management positions, in addition to improving key indicators such as creativity, performance and attracting new talent, which are fundamental elements to trigger and channel innovation.

International Women’s Day allows strategic areas of companies, such as Human Resources or the general directorates themselves, to reflect and establish high-impact actions from a work culture of greater well-being.

In the case of Gympass , this year has given us several lessons and tools to strengthen, precisely, this culture:

Well-being must be part of the agenda

Companies need to recognize the challenge they face. In a survey of almost 400 women worldwide, by the Deloitte consultancy, 82% present impacts as a result of a change in routine: impact on physical well-being and inability to balance work and personal commitments. In this same study, 45% of women consider that companies should promote mental health programs, while 44% consider it necessary to have physical health plans.

The approach should be increasingly comprehensive, whether from hybrid schemes, with face-to-face activities and others online. Betting on only one type of activity in a single location will be less and less effective, even in aspects that the company may be interested in promoting, such as emotional salary. The trend we see is that companies interested in this wellness agenda should privilege flexibility since, just as the work can be done remotely, so will the health care options: with solutions that respond to the needs of people, in their day to day.

The home office, the integration of remote teams, the adaptation to technological platforms, hybrid models are just some of the things that are already part of our daily lives. One more example of the need for rapid adaptation and the need to leave behind the “we have always done it this way”.

Innovation and growth is the focus that more companies are adopting today. Changes in the structures, leadership and ways of managing to which we were accustomed have given way to better talent management, which in turn implies rethinking aspects that were not considered before, such as the importance of emotions or stress reduction , through various tools that can range from applications to have an exercise plan with personal trainers to breathing exercises.

Continuously monitor the work environment

Human Resources plays a key role in the new work environment of companies for parameter parameters, processes and initiatives that trigger healthier, more egalitarian, respectful and harmonious work environments. Fortunately, they have various allies and technologies that can be chosen to strengthen a better environment, such as increasing the frequency of sending pulse surveys, a questionnaire to employees to obtain information on health and well-being. It is fast, simple and reliable, it provides data on aspects such as the work environment and communication, which allows a positive and continuous transformation of the environment.