How employers can lead the way in supporting women’s health

When Amy Ferguson was trying to get pregnant 25 years ago, fertility treatments weren’t something you talked about at work. She remembers the stress of having to sneak out for daily bloodwork and ultrasounds, worried about how long the tests would take and the potential impact on her job performance.

“I kept it quiet. I didn’t feel comfortable to share that information,” said Ms. Ferguson, now vice-president, business development, group benefits and retirement savings at Desjardins Insurance. She shared her story during a panel discussion at an event at The Globe and Mail on Oct. 24, Women’s health: Bridging the gaps in knowledge and care.

Ms. Ferguson noted that today, the stigma around women’s health issues is lifting as more women speak out about their health struggles in the workplace, from challenging menstrual cycles to fertility issues to perimenopause and menopause symptoms.

Employers are also helping to lift that stigma, she added, by recognizing how women’s health challenges may impact their productivity. Ms. Ferguson said more clients are asking Desjardins Insurance, Group Insurance Provider, for programs to meet the specific needs of women.

“We’re receiving more and more questions from our clients asking how they can help their [women] employees,” Ms. Ferguson said. “We’re having conversations we didn’t have even five years ago.”

Benefits with a focus on family-building

Ms. Ferguson pointed out supporting women in the workplace isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s good business too. A new, first-of-its-kind study from the McKinsey Health Institute¹ recently revealed the economic opportunity of supporting women’s health.

According to the study, closing the women’s health gap could result in seven more healthy days of life per year for every Canadian woman, potentially boosting the country’s economy by $37-billion annually by 2040. These health gains would mean expanded participation in the workforce and increased productivity, said the study, benefitting women and Canadian employers.

To help employers support women’s health, Desjardins Insurance’s Family Focus initiative helps employees facing family-planning challenges like infertility. This initiative allows employers to offer their employees coverage for fertility treatments, medications and genetic testing, and offers financial support for adoption and surrogacy. Employees also have access to counselling, nutrition advice, midwife and doula services, prenatal classes, breast pumps and perinatal bereavement support.

Ms. Ferguson noted the Family Focus offer has been a hit with clients – in fact, more than 1,000 clients have implemented the initiative in the first 18 months since Desjardins Insurance introduced it. “We’re seeing employers embrace women’s health and having those open discussions,” she said.

Why mental health supports are key

While coverage for services such as fertility treatments are a key part of any women’s health program, Ms. Ferguson pointed out that mental health benefits are also essential, particularly for those in rural parts of the country who may have less access to mental health professionals.

Women often experience a heavy mental load when balancing competing priorities including work, family and personal responsibilities. For example, in a 2024 U.S. Gallup poll², 51 per cent of working women in the U.S. reported feeling stressed a lot of the day compared with 39 per cent of men. Women were more likely to say their job had a negative impact on their mental health and more likely to report having to address family responsibilities at work.

Mental health can be especially challenging when women return to work after parental leave, Ms. Ferguson added.

“When we see [women] coming back to work, the mental health aspect is even more exacerbated.” Because many women are having children later in life, she noted, they may be in a more demanding, senior role at work. “They have that anxiety of, ‘How am I going to do everything?’ and ‘Where do I go for help?’ and may not always be comfortable asking for help.”

Employers need to ensure their employees know the support available to them before they go on leave, Ms. Ferguson said. They can also help women who are returning to work by being flexible and allowing them to return at a gradual pace.

While times have certainly changed since she faced the stigma of fertility treatments years ago, Ms. Ferguson said she believes there’s still more that can be done. Desjardins Insurance is excited to be leading the way by helping Canadian organizations support women’s health, she added.

“I also think what we’re doing here today [at this event] is a great first step,” she said. “The fact that so many people are talking about [women’s health] – and we’re sharing our stories – gets rid of the taboo.”

Learn more about Desjardins Insurance Family Focus initiative today

Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with Desjardins. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.