Workplaces often pride themselves on being fair and equal. Policies are designed to apply to everyone, and benefits are presented as universal. But when it comes to health, equality on paper doesn’t always translate into fairness in reality.
Beneath the surface, there’s a quiet imbalance—one that shapes women’s experiences at work long before they ever use a healthcare benefit.
According to the Plum Employee Health Report 2025, nearly 70% of women are dissatisfied with their workplace healthcare plans. This isn’t just about coverage limits or hospital networks. It points to a deeper issue: most benefits are built around a “default employee” whose health journey doesn’t reflect women’s lived experiences.
A Changing Health Reality
Women’s health patterns are shifting—and fast.
In India, serious conditions like cancer and cardiovascular issues are appearing earlier than expected, often during peak career years. What was once considered a later-life concern is now affecting professionals in their most productive phases.
At the same time, less visible health issues continue to grow. Fatigue, burnout, recurring infections, and hormonal conditions like PCOS or anemia often don’t require hospitalisation—but they still impact daily performance and wellbeing. Because they fall below the threshold of “serious illness,” they’re frequently overlooked in workplace policies.
Health Is Not One-Dimensional
Women’s health cannot be separated into neat categories.
- Physical health includes hormonal cycles, reproductive transitions, and chronic fatigue patterns.
- Mental health is equally significant, with 1 in 5 telehealth consultations by women linked to mental health concerns.
- Social factors add another layer—women in India spend nearly 10 times more hours on unpaid caregiving than men.
These dimensions overlap constantly. Health isn’t a single event—it’s a continuous, interconnected experience.
Yet most workplace benefits treat them as separate issues. Therapy may be offered, but without reproductive support. Insurance may exist, but without acknowledging caregiving pressures. The result? Fragmented support that rarely matches real needs.
The Problem with “Equal” Policies
Many organisations believe they’re doing the right thing by offering the same benefits to everyone. It sounds fair—but neutrality isn’t always equity.
Take maternity benefits as an example. While more companies now include them, the depth of coverage often falls short of reality. The State of Employee Benefits 2024 reveals that fewer than 40% of companies offer maternity coverage above ₹75,000, despite rising healthcare costs and frequent complications.
Support for:
- Infertility treatments
- Surrogacy
- Miscarriage care
remains limited or nonexistent in most plans.
Similarly, truly inclusive healthcare—covering gender affirmation, neurodiversity, or comprehensive mental health—is still rare, with less than 15% of organisations offering such benefits.
More Spending, But Not Always Better Support
Companies are investing more in employee health than ever before. Higher insurance coverage, annual checkups, telehealth, and discounted medicines are becoming common.
But more benefits don’t automatically mean better outcomes.
What’s often missing is relevance.
A truly supportive system doesn’t just add features—it connects them. It recognises:
- Menstrual health as a normal part of life
- Menopause as a career-stage transition
- Mental and reproductive health as interconnected
What Progressive Workplaces Are Doing Differently
Forward-thinking organisations are starting to close this gap.
They’re not just increasing benefits—they’re redesigning them. Their approach includes:
- Higher and more realistic maternity coverage
- Inclusive definitions of family
- Integrated mental and physical healthcare
- Flexible plans that adapt to life stages
The difference lies in how these benefits work together—not just how many exist.
Why This Gap Still Exists
The gender health gap isn’t caused by one missing policy. It builds over time through small, repeated mismatches.
- When menstrual health is dismissed, employees hesitate to ask for flexibility
- When menopause is ignored, productivity quietly suffers
- When care ends at childbirth, postpartum struggles remain unseen
These are not isolated issues—they’re cumulative pressures.
Beyond Lip Service
Awareness campaigns, wellness webinars, and panel discussions can signal intent—but they don’t fix structural gaps.
Real change requires rethinking how benefits are designed.
The truth is, workplace health systems haven’t kept pace with how health itself is evolving. Employees today expect support that reflects their real lives—not outdated, one-size-fits-all solutions.
Closing the gender health gap isn’t about adding more benefits. It’s about building smarter, more human systems that recognise the full reality of women’s health.