Two fifths of employers (39%) say that their male employees wait until a health problem becomes severe before talking to their line manager or HR department, which in turn leads to team or workplace disruption.
That’s according to new research from Peppy, which also found thatย 37% of employers say that one of the main issues when trying to manage menโs health issues in the workplace is their unwillingness to seek help.
Similarly, just over a quarter (26%) of employers stated that presenteeism โ working whilst not being fit, physically or mentally, for work โ is an issue amongst their male employees.
Other issues that employers believe affect menโs health problems in the workplace include:
- A macho culture where being ill or needing help is seen as a weakness (36%)
- Lack of support for male-specific issues (30%)
- Lack of places where men can access support confidentially (26%)
- Lack of role models who show itโs okay to be ill (25%)
- Men being concerned about promotions / pay rises if they are known to have health problems (25%)
- Unable to access GP / medical support due to long working hours (23%)
Women tend to have many more touch points with the healthcare system, such as during family planning, pregnancy and giving birth; vaccinating young children; smear tests; menopause support etc. This means they have more opportunities to raise health concerns and are more accustomed to seeking help. However, as the research indicates, and as many suspect, men often ignore symptoms and delay medical check-ups.
Dr. Mridula Pore, CEO of Peppy, said: โIn general, men are simply not engaged with the healthcare system. Itโs not uncommon for male employees to make claims about โnever having had a day off workโ or โnot having visited a GP since they were youngโ but this could mean serious conditions are missed.
โIn the context of the workplace, we need to encourage men to get support as soon as they have any concerns or show symptoms. These early interventions can prevent an illness becoming more severe and ultimately mean less disruption to the employer.โ
Nearly half (45%) of employers say they offer support in the workplace specifically for menโs health, with a further 20% planning to offer it within the next twelve months. These figures are a positive step forward in employers acknowledging that their male employees need dedicated workplace support for ill-health.
Pore added: โTo shift the needle on menโs workplace health, employers must offer the right type of support, and it needs to be both convenient and give assurance. A tech-based solution ticks many of the right boxes but it will not be effective unless it is communicated regularly to increase engagement.
โWe need to prevent men from having any excuse to delay discussing symptoms, particularly as fitting a GP appointment around work can be difficult and many feel uncomfortable divulging health concerns directly to an employer.โ
