A quarter of UK women have been pressured into returning to work when taking time off for health issues

A quarter of women working in UK offices have been shamed or pressured to return to work early when taking time off for health issues, new research has shown.

The government has been urging employers to do more to keep workers healthy and reduce the number of people out of work, and workplace conversations about staff health have become much more prevalent.

However, there is still a lot of stigma around other female health conditions.

Research from the women’s health startup frendo has found that over a quarter (28 per cent) of women say their company culture is not open when it comes to discussing health conditions, and 27 per cent say their employer is not willing to make allowances for health issues.

The findings have shown that one in seven women (14 per cent) say they have experienced discrimination in the workplace due to their health, such as being overlooked for promotions or excluded from team activities.

Two in five of those who had been discriminated against (42 per cent) did not vocalise their concerns to the staff who were placing them at a disadvantage, and the same proportion did not tell their HR department.

A third of women would feel uncomfortable talking about chronic health issues with a male manager, frendo has found, rising to 63 per cent if discussing a fertility or menstrual problem. These figures fall to 16 per cent and 22 per cent respectively when talking to a female manager.

“I have first-hand experience of being pressured into returning to work after one of my endo surgeries,” said Dearbhail Ormond, founder and CEO of frendo.

“In a previous senior leadership role, I accepted a WFH support programme so I could return to work faster. However, this commitment and dedication were not recognised by my employer as I was made redundant shortly after.

“Unfortunately, there is still too much stigma and shame attached to female health issues and a lack of openness and understanding in the workplace leaves many women feeling pressured or shamed when taking time off due to ill health and unable to speak out if they are being discriminated against.”

Ormond said without the right support chronic conditions, such as endometriosis, can prevent women from reaching their full potential, not only affecting the employee but also the employer’s bottom line as a result of absenteeism or loss of productivity.

“With more education, employers can be in a better position to support and retain staff by helping them access the tools they need to manage their health alongside their career,” she added.

Last month, frendo became the first company to launch a workplace support programme for endometriosis, aiming to improve health equity in businesses by providing employers with the resources they need to support their staff.

The project, called frendo@work, seeks to help employers prioritise women’s health, help reduce staff absences and improve engagement and performance.