More Than a Program: A Culture of Women's Wellbeing at Work

Fifty-one percent of working women in the U.S. report feeling stressed a lot of the day yesterday (vs. 39% of men). Additionally, 42% of working women say their job has had a somewhat or extremely negative impact on their mental health over the last six months (vs. 37% of men). The consequential ripples of women's wellbeing affect organizations as declines in wellbeing are associated with lower engagement, higher burnout and increased participation in job-seeking behaviors.

Based on research conducted from February 2023 through October 2024, Gallup examined how the relationship between work and life can affect women’s career trajectories and overall wellbeing.

Work-Life Imbalance: Competing Demands of Work and Home

For many working women, trying to find balance between work and life feels like a perpetual tug-of-war with each side demanding an increased level of presence and attention. About one in six women (17%) report having to address personal or family responsibilities at work daily or several times a day (vs. 11% of men). Similarly, 18% of women say they need to address job-related responsibilities outside of working hours at least daily (vs. 15% of men). Women are also more likely to think about work during their personal time each day (39% of women vs. 37% of men).

These daily disruptions -- whether it be scheduling dentist appointments for children between meetings or answering emails after hours -- are associated with higher levels of stress, worry and burnout. Women who report managing all three of these previously mentioned behaviors daily to several times a day are 81% more likely to feel burned out.

By supporting women in integrating personal and work responsibilities, organizations can benefit from these employees’ improved wellbeing. Women who strongly agree they are able to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal commitments are 50% more likely to be thriving in their lives, more than twice as likely to be engaged at work, and 38% less likely to be actively looking or watching for a new job.

Parenting Affects Women's Career Growth

For women with children at home, being the default responder to their children’s needs can significantly affect their careers. Women (38%) and men (37%) are similarly likely to strongly agree that their organization provides them with the flexibility needed to address child care responsibilities. But women with children (64%) are nearly three times as likely as men (22%) to strongly agree they are the parent or guardian expected to address unexpected child care issues.

Working women with children are roughly twice as likely as their male counterparts to report having considered reducing their hours or leaving their jobs altogether because of child care issues or declined or delayed promotions because of personal or family obligations.

These findings might suggest that women are “opting out” of their careers to focus on childrearing. However, Gallup observes a similar trend among working parents and guardians who have indicated a desire to pursue positions in senior leadership. This suggests that women’s tendency to take actions that have the potential to limit their career at greater rates than men cannot be fully attributed to gender differences in career aspirations.

The Traditional 9-to-5 Isn't Working for Many Women

In terms of work styles, employees tend to be either “splitters” or “blenders.” Splitters prefer to have clear boundaries between work and personal life. Blenders prefer to alternate between work and personal time, moving fluidly between the two throughout the day.

Just over half of women employed full time (54%) prefer a blender work style (vs. 47% of men). However, when looking at their actual work arrangements, Gallup finds that 75% of full-time working women report that their actual work schedule matches that of a splitter (vs. 71% of men).

This means that more than one in three women employed full time (36% vs. 29% of men) have a misalignment between their preferred work style and actual work arrangement. This mismatch can result in lower engagement, higher burnout and stress, and make them more likely to seek a new job.

While many organizations now provide greater flexibility, many women do not have the blended work arrangement they desire and, for some, need to continue developing and growing in their careers.

How Can Organizations Take Action?

Women make up nearly half the U.S. workforce¹ and more than half of the college-educated labor force². To attract, recruit, and retain top talent, organizations must find ways to support women, including working mothers, in balancing the competing demands of work and life.

Establish informed policies, programs and resources.

Just 26% of women strongly agree their organization cares about their wellbeing. This suggests that either organizations are not doing enough to publicize their policies, programs, and resources, or that the current wellbeing offerings do not adequately address women’s needs.

Alignment starts with awareness. The first step in designing effective change is reviewing current policies, programs, and resources with the goal of understanding usage and gathering employee feedback.

Leaders should consider how roles are structured and look for opportunities for greater flexibility for those, including parents, who need it. Clear, consistent communication about policies, programs, and resources ensures that employees are aware of and feel encouraged to use the organization’s wellbeing offerings.

Position managers to be the support system employees need.

Managers are the crucial link between employers and employees. They are responsible for translating organizational strategies, policies and expectations while helping direct reports integrate work in a way that aligns with their lives. When employees have conversations about wellbeing at work, they are most likely to do so with their manager.

However, only a quarter of employees report that their manager was someone who had provided helpful support for balancing work and personal responsibilities. When asked where they have received the most helpful support in this area, employees are most likely to report friends and family, introspection, and coworkers.

For women, this finding is particularly concerning given the vital role managers play in helping employees achieve their career aspirations while navigating their individualized needs. To better support women’s wellbeing, managers need clear expectations and dedicated training for initiating meaningful conversations -- including those about wellbeing -- with their employees.

While the job of manager is not that of a mental health expert or practitioner, the ability to build rapport, foster trust and engage employees with genuine interest creates an environment where concerns about wellbeing can be raised and addressed.

Prioritize a culture of wellbeing.

Programs and managers alone cannot make progress if employees do not feel that their organization has a strong culture of wellbeing. If employees doubt leadership’s commitment to wellbeing initiatives or worry about negative repercussions for accessing them, they may avoid engaging with these offerings. This avoidance can lead to resources being overlooked and employee needs remaining unmet, ultimately affecting the company’s bottom line. Building a culture of wellbeing starts with leaders demonstrating desired behaviors, fostering open communication about the importance of wellbeing, actively highlighting available resources, and making the employee experience a central focus of their organizational strategy.