From healthcare to childcare: 30 impactful employee benefits for women

As the workplace continues to evolve, it’s becoming clear that supporting female employees with the right benefits isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must. From healthcare benefits that tackle gender-specific needs, to family support and mental health programs, companies can make a big impact by offering benefits that truly support women. Not only do these benefits help employees feel valued, but they also boost retention and productivity. Here, we’ll dive into ways that employers can step up their game with benefits that make a real difference for women in the workplace.

Healthcare benefits for women

Health insurance is fairly standard across the board as an employee benefit, but for employers looking to better support women in the workplace, there are a few ways they can amp up their offerings to better meet their team’s needs.

Menopause care

Roughly 1 in 4 women feel their career development is impacted by menopause symptoms, yet menopause support hasn’t been a common benefit until recently.  Menopause benefits come in the form of support platforms like Midi and leave policies that specifically cover menopause, but one of the biggest things employers can do is address the stigma around menopause and women’s health in the workplace.

Health stipends

A health and wellness stipend allows employees to take charge of their own health by choosing what they need. It’s not only empowering for employees, but it also takes the burden off of HR in trying to provide for each employee’s unique needs.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis coverage

Due to heightened awareness and better diagnostic practices, the U.S. is seeing an increase in diagnoses of both PCOS and endometriosis. Ensuring employees have access to specialists and treatment for these conditions as a standard part of their health coverage can be a huge help to those trying to find care — and afford it.

Pelvic floor therapy

Pelvic floor therapy is most commonly associated with recovery after childbirth, but it can be used to treat a variety of symptoms for all women — especially those going through perimenopause or menopause.

Nutrition support

With a near constant hormonal roller coaster ride comes a near constant need to shift your diet. Nutrition support can help employees navigate hormonal changes in ways that effectively fuel their bodies.

Family support benefits for women

Though we’ve seen progress in recent years, women still disproportionately shoulder family-care duties. Women with children are nearly 3 times as likely as men to strongly agree that they are the parent responsible for unexpected childcare issues. About 74% of single-parent households are headed by women. Women often juggle two full-time jobs between home and work, and offering them support on the family front can lift a huge load off their shoulders. Here are a few ways you can help:

Robust parental leave

This may seem like an obvious one, but we want to specifically address parental leave for both parents. Offering robust time off for both parents is a huge support to postpartum moms, and it also fosters a more equitable division of child-rearing duties.

Caregiving support

About 25% of adults in the U.S. are part of the “sandwich generation” — people who are caring for both children and aging family members. Some of these people are dedicating upwards of 50 hours a week to caregiving which, on top of a full-time job, can be a tremendous load to carry. Companies like Cleo (a Nava Preferred Partner!) offer benefits and support for people navigating care for multiple generations.

Childcare

Infant care in the U.S. can cost over $24,000 per year, per child. When you factor in multiple children, the number can be downright scary. Financial support for childcare can be a huge benefit to all working parents. Here are a few options employers can offer:

• Dependent care FSA
• On-site daycare
• Daycare stipends
• Subscriptions to childcare services like Care.com

Breastfeeding benefits

Employers are legally required to provide reasonable break times for an employee to pump breast milk in the workplace, but you can also amp up the support in a few other ways.

• A pumping room stocked with the essentials: sink, fridge, cleaning supplies, comfy chair, and a door that locks
• Breast milk shipping services like Milk Stork for mothers who travel for work
• Stipends for breast feeding supplies like nursing bras, storage bags, or pump parts
• Better communication around existing benefits. For example, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most insurance plans are required to cover the cost of a breast pump. Make communication plans to ensure your team knows about the benefits they already have!

Mental health benefits for women

Women are 50% more likely to experience depression than men. With the mental load many women face between work and home, mental health and self-care often take a back seat. As an employer, one of the ways you can truly support your people is by offering them much-needed access to mental health support.

Headway

Headway, another Nava Preferred Partner, is revolutionizing mental healthcare access. Their platform makes it easy for employees to find in-network providers 24/7. Headway connects users to 48,000 diverse providers, and patients can schedule appointments within 48 hours, helping them find the right support when they need it most.

Stress and burnout prevention programs

As Arianna Huffington once said, “Burnout is not a badge of honor.” Here are some stress-reduction programs you can offer:

• No-meeting days for focused work, time for doctor appointments, etc.
• Manager training on burnout prevention
• Wellness stipends that can be used on massages or other stress-reducing activities

Meditation or mindfulness training

Meditation has been shown to reduce stress at work by 31%. A meditation or mindfulness benefit can come in the form of coaches or even subscriptions to mental wellness apps like Calm or Headspace.

Time-off policies for women

When it comes to commodities, time is perhaps the most precious one available. The beautiful thing about time-off policies is that they don’t cost you a thing, but they show immense care and support for your employees who have a lot going on outside of work. Here are a few time-off categories to consider:

Flexible schedules

Offering your employees flexible schedules not only helps them gain better work-life balance, but it also shows a sense of trust. It’s empowering, and your team will appreciate your trust in them to get their work done — whether it’s between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or not.

Leave for miscarriages or stillbirths

In the U.S., there is no federal mandate for paid leave after a miscarriage or stillbirth, but for many women, the physical recovery can take up to 2 weeks. Those 2 weeks don’t begin to cover the mental or emotional recovery needed. Including this type of leave in your time-off policy makes it clear to women that they can and should take the time they need to recover and grieve.

SAFE leave

SAFE leave is a time-off policy specifically for victims of violent crime like domestic abuse or sexual assault. More than the time, incorporating this into your time-off policy lets your employees know you truly care for them.

Reproductive health leave

The Heath Services Union in Australia has recently started advocating for a general reproductive health leave policy, which could cover time off for all types of reproductive health issues: menstrual pain, menopause symptoms, fertility treatments, and more.

Financial benefits for women

Between the gender pay gap, more common career disruptions due to caregiving responsibilities, and other competing factors, financial insecurity disproportionally affects women. In fact, 70% of women believe their employer should provide benefits that address financial stress.  Here’s how you can help:

Home-buying support

This benefit has become more common with large tech companies who operate in high-cost-of-living locations, but the trend will likely continue to grow across industries and cities.

Equity

Equity can potentially be life-changing for employees, and it’s good for your company too. In a study done by Rutgers, employers noted positive effects in employee productivity, retention, recruitment, and engagement.

Lifestyle spending account

We talked about wellness stipends above, but we’re taking it one step further with a lifestyle spending account (LSA) here. LSAs provide massive benefits to employees because they can be used on a wider range of things, like:

• Professional development courses
• Student loan repayment
• Commuting or transportation costs
• Home gym equipment
• Childcare costs

Building a women-friendly culture

While not exactly employee benefits, company culture has a big impact on the well-being of your female employees. Women are 41% more likely to experience toxic workplace culture than men, which can have drastic effects on retention and engagement. This list is certainly not exhaustive, but it’s a good place to start making small changes that can have big impacts.

Employee resource groups (ERGs) for women

ERGs offer a safe space where employees can find support, advice, mentorship, and awareness. They’re a highly cost-effective way to show support.

Transparent compensation practices

Transparent compensation practices are just one way we can address the gender pay gap. Through transparency, we can find accountability and start working toward pay equity for all.

Regular pay equity audits

Women earn just 83.6% of what their male counterparts take home. A pay equity audit gives you the opportunity to recognize and rectify any gaps in compensation — an important step in making your workplace truly equitable. Here’s a helpful pay equity audit template!