Six Actionable Steps Companies Can Take to Achieve Health Equity In The Workplace

April 19, 2023

Creating a diverse workplace is a top priority for businesses today, but are employers doing everything they can to ensure that the healthcare benefits they offer genuinely cater to everyone?

As an HR or employee benefits professional, you play a crucial role in shaping the health and well-being of your coworkers — whoever they are, wherever they are. This idea is known as Health Equity or “Health For All,” and it means recognizing that the more diverse your workforce is, the more tailored to their needs, and the less a one-size-fits-all approach will work.

Health equity means providing everyone a fair chance to be healthy. It’s within your power, and it’s in your best interest too — because a work environment where everyone feels valued and supported will help you retain diverse talent, foster workplace community, and increase employee engagement.

Employers Can Close the Healthcare Gap

The current state of healthcare is far from perfect. For instance, women often face greater challenges in accessing proper care. They may have to wait longer for medical visits, receive fewer diagnoses, and spend more on over-the-counter medication. Conditions like endometriosis can take years to diagnose, causing pain and stress in the meantime. On the other hand, men of working age are almost one-third less likely than women to visit the doctor.

Employers are in a unique position to help close the healthcare gap, particularly for underserved areas of gender-specific health such as menopause, erectile dysfunction, prostate health, PCOS, and more.

What Are the Benefits of Health Equity to Business?

By offering healthcare coverage that works for every team member, you can reap the benefits of a happier, more productive workforce. Diverse teams make better decisions, and when employees feel cared for, they’re more likely to stick around.

In contrast, employers that fail to meet the needs of a diverse workforce may suffer the consequences.

Take menopause as an example: women of menopausal age are the fastest-growing demographic of the workforce, yet companies that offer specialized menopause support are still in the minority.

Here are the facts about menopause in the workplace:

The question is: can you afford not to support women experiencing menopause symptoms? More needs to be done to accommodate the unique needs of this group, as well as others in your workplace.

Six Steps to Achieve Health Equity

The concept of “Health For All” might sound complicated, but it doesn’t need to be. Here are six steps to supporting every person in your workplace:

Make your health benefits confidential, accessible, and personalized, so everyone has an equal chance to get the help that’s relevant to them.
Offer benefits that support underserved areas, such as men’s health, women’s health and LGBTQI+ health.
Avoid burnout by encouraging employees to seek healthcare when needed and take time off when necessary. Take a look at our last blog post on ‘how to tackle HR and employee burnout’.
Invest in training to help employees support each other, like mental health first aid courses and frequent reminders of the health benefits already in place.
Review your healthcare policies for inclusivity and using gender-neutral language.
Choose personalized healthcare solutions. Generic benefits might seem like a quick fix, but personalized care is the key to truly making a difference.

As an HR or benefits leader, you have the power to make Health Equity a reality in your workplace, but you don’t have to do it alone. Platforms like the Peppy app connect employees with healthcare specialists trained to support the most diverse workplaces. They help you provide high-impact healthcare to every person on your team, and in turn to create a healthier, more resilient workplace culture.