Forward thinking businesses value corporate wellness and support women in the workplace. Read our Thrive Journey guide to why wellbeing at work is so important…
Corporate wellness is not just a fad. It’s a vital part of good business. And workplace stress is no longer viewed as an individual issue, but as a systemic wellbeing challenge.
Incorporating stress assessment and management strategies within the workplace, means healthier, happier employees with higher productivity and job satisfaction. It’s a win-win.
This is a clear shift from the outdated productivity-first mentality to recognising that if organisations put wellbeing first, productivity almost always improves.
What is Corporate Wellness?
Corporate Wellness is about having a holistic approach to employee wellbeing and delivering structured workplace initiatives that support employee physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
It’s gone beyond a cheap gym membership and some healthy food options in the canteen – these days companies need to be offering an organisational response to rising stress levels and burnout.
Workplace wellbeing is about offering specific components, such as: mental health support, stress management at work, movement and mindfulness initiatives, and a flexible working culture (such as options to work from home, variable hours and time off for important life events).
It also includes the availability of emotional wellbeing tools such as counselling and meditation apps.
This is a preventative approach instead of reactive – avoiding problems rather than trying to fix them – and is increasingly seen as essential for sustainable workplace performance and employee retention.
Why Corporate Wellness Matters for Women in the Workplace
Working women are often disproportionately affected by stress due to the added pressures of family, emotional and home responsibilities. They are often time poor and forced to multi-task, with poor work-life balance. And all this, as levels of stress in the corporate environment are at epidemic levels.
A survey by Mental Health UK found that one in three adults experiences high or extreme levels of stress always or often (1). And 76% of people report experiencing burnout symptoms at some point in their careers. (2)
Workplace initiatives are usually generalised, failing to recognise the different health issues and demands faced by women. There needs to be focus on managing menstruation, pregnancy, PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome), burnout prevention and menopause, as well as hormonal health.
Women have very different health needs to men. Awareness of hormone balance and tracking the menstrual cycle helps to empower women to chart the optimal time for certain activities. For example, women are more likely to take risks during ovulation and menstruation is a time to consolidate and review. With knowledge of the rhythm of our menstrual cycle we have a better understanding of our bodies, mood, energy levels and wellbeing.
Research by the Jean Hailes National Women’s Health Survey (3) found that 63 per cent of Australian women support additional paid leave for menstrual issues and 62 per cent of women echoed the same support for menopause leave. And yet more than four in five women feel employers or colleagues would not be supportive of such leave and more than three quarters of women think employers will use menstrual and menopause leave as a reason to discriminate against women.
In a 2025 survey by Deloitte, (4) Only around half of women describe their mental health as good, and just four in 10 women say they feel able to switch off from work.
The Hidden Impact of Workplace Stress on Women’s Health
Over time and left unchecked, stress can become chronic, which affects overall health, disrupts sleep patterns, reduces focus, leads to digestive issues, poor mental health at work, irritability, mood swings and impacts resilience.
In a chronic stressed state, cortisol levels are high and the nervous system is operating from the sympathetic state (fight/flight), which means it can be hard to ‘switch off’, leaving you feeling ‘tired but wired,’ exhausted, but unable to sleep or rest deeply. Over time this can lead to anxiety, low energy, cognitive fatigue and hormonal imbalance.
As a result, it can be harder to make decisions, focus is impeded and production levels reduce.
Stress (and being constantly busy, which is also a form of chronic stress) means you are at risk of disease and burnout.
It’s important to recognise that stress isn’t just mental, it is also physiological and needs to be addressed.
What Effective Corporate Wellness Actually Looks Like
Corporate wellness is part of the work culture – where everyone appreciates the importance of caring for the foundations of health and physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. It involves a shift from a performance-only to sustainable performance mentality.
It’s about creating space – both in the day and in the work environment – for mindfulness practices, perhaps a space in nature or quiet area for employees to take time out during their day.
According to an article in the National Library of Medicine, (5) mindfulness practices improve attention, emotional regulation and resilience under pressure.
This could mean having breathwork, practices for hormonal balance and nervous system reset, to help activate the relaxation response and create holistic workplace health.
Or the opportunity to take part in regular movement and yoga-based practices as well as emotional wellbeing support systems.
Companies also need create a tailored approach to stress management and women’s health at work. We are all unique and will respond differently to stress depending on physical characteristics such as natural resting heart rate, resilience built from habits, traumas experienced and pressures outside of work.
And a coordinated approach is important – wellness tools also have to be offered as part of a structured and holistic program, rather than in random workshops.
Why Corporate Wellness Is an Investment, Not a Perk
Corporate wellness is a long-term health and performance strategy. Not only is it likely to reduce the need for employees to take leave and sick days, it also helps to reduce the risk of burnout and creates a sustainable work life.
Productivity and morale are likely to increase and this leads to a more positive environment – which in turn leads to longer employee retention, loyalty and engagement.
By creating a culture which respects women’s health needs and offers employee wellness programs, then this will be reflected in more positive environment for employees, employers and customers.
Corporate health and wellbeing supports both human health and organisational resilience.
Conclusion
Corporate wellness is increasingly seen as essential for sustainable workplace performance and employee retention.
This is particularly the case for women, who are more likely to have a disproportionate exposure to stress.
This shift towards a preventative, holistic wellbeing approach signals a more intelligent approach to business.
The Thrive Journey Corporate Wellness Programs offer a range of supportive and evidence-informed employee wellbeing initiatives to help manage stress and promote women’s health and wellbeing for every life stage – to ensure your workforce have all the tools they need to thrive both in and out of the workplace.
References:
1: Mental Health UK
2: Gallup poll:
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/288539/employee-burnout-biggest-myth.aspx
3: Jean Hailes
4: Deloitte: Women at Work 2025
https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/content/women-at-work-global-outlook.html
5: National Library of Medicine
