WTW

Audrey Tan

A quick look into any company’s diversity and inclusion efforts, and you will spot a common metric: the number of women versus men in managerial positions or on the board. 

Over the years, boardroom or c-suites representations have become the poster child to showcase that women can be given equal opportunities to excel as men. It’s easy to see why - having women on the board has proven effective in encouraging other women employees to pursue their careers and instigate cultural change. At the same time, it is one of the more easily measured indicators to showcase a company’s progress and commitment to diversity.

But simply having a gender-balanced board is not enough. To truly empower employees and enhance workplace culture, companies need to create a supportive environment that extends into more holistic well-being and benefit schemes. Here are three key areas employers should consider in order to create an inclusive workforce:

1. Rethink family building support

The recent doubling of paid paternity leave in Singapore was a much-needed move to reduce the financial, emotional, and social insecurities that many working parents face. Yet the nature of maternity and paternity leaves continues to reinforce the presumption that women should take responsibility for childcare and the stigma against fathers who want to assume the role of the primary caregiver.

To take it one step forward, why not redefine childbirth (or adoption) leaves by primary and secondary caregivers instead of by gender? Countries like New Zealand and Australia are already doing this, and we believe this approach could alleviate the persistent inequalities in caregiving. It could also give a boost to the fertility rates around the region, which have dropped to all-time lows in markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

Then there’s the need to provide more help for aspiring mothers. More than 85% of APAC-based companies currently exclude fertility treatment from their health benefits schemes, compared to 76% in the rest of the world. Employers need to be more forward-thinking and supportive in providing access to these services, giving working women greater control over their lives and relieving them of the financial burden that comes with fertility treatments. 

2. Enable flexible work

Flexible work is often a top consideration for employees looking for a new job or staying in their current roles, especially mothers with young children or dependent care responsibilities. Yet less than one-third of APAC companies are currently reviewing flexible work and caregiving arrangements. A gender-balanced flexible work policy could relieve the disproportionate burden of caregiving placed on women and normalise men’s roles as caregivers. This would then give women employees more time and flexibility to excel in the workplace. 

Besides, flexible working isn’t just about working from home versus working from the office. For roles where remote working is not a viable option, employers can also consider flexible locations, such as allowing employees to work in a company outlet or branch closer to home. Some countries are also piloting a four-day workweek, which has proven to result in more productive employees and more efficient businesses. 

3. Empower employees’ choices in health

According to WTW’s latest Global Medical Trends survey, cancer is the top medical condition in Asia by cost and incident, a condition prevalent and unique for both men and women. Gender-specific screenings are, therefore, not just good to have but a necessity to enable employees to make informed decisions about their health. Screening tests like mammograms and Pap smears for women and colonoscopies for men will not only save lives but significantly reduce the potential financial impact on employees and their employers in the long run. 

Besides common health risks, working women aged 45 to 55 also face an issue not often understood: menopause. Compared to 37% globally, 52% of insurers in APAC exclude medical treatments related to menopause in companies’ healthcare group policies covering employees. Menopause is a common health issue that causes brain fog, forgetfulness, and even mental health conditions like stress and anxiety, all of which affect workplace performance. Employers thus need to optimise their health benefit schemes to support this unique health risk to empower more mature working women.

Lastly, mental well-being has also become a mounting concern in the workplace, and employers need to consider more holistic lifestyle interventions to improve the well-being of their workforce. Access to mental well-being support, such as employee assistance and sleep management programmes are some of the possible solutions companies can provide. Managerial support is also key to helping employees strike a better work-life balance.  

The road toward workplace inclusivity will not be easy, and the needs of men and women are so unique that they cannot be resolved by simply creating a more gender-balanced boardroom. Instead, companies need to rethink their workplace cultures in all aspects and invest in more holistic healthcare and well-being benefits. Only in this way can we truly address each employee's challenges throughout different life stages, empowering them with the opportunities they need to thrive in their careers.