International Men’s Day (19 Nov) is an opportunity for employers to step up their efforts to support the physical and emotional health of male employees.
Male employees are twice as likely as women to feel like their employer doesn’t support their health and wellbeing. According to research for our Health at Work report, 16% of men say they have little or no wellbeing support from work, compared to just 8% of women.
Our survey also found that men are significantly more concerned about developing heart disease, cancer and diabetes, and three times as likely to have become alcohol or drug-dependent. Worrying new data also reveals that prostate cancer rates tripled during the pandemic, while suicide remains the major cause of death for men under the age of 50.
A common theme is the reluctance of men to speak out and ask for help when they need it, meaning employers and managers have a vital role to play when it comes to providing proactive support. Our medical director, Dr Bernard Yew, looks at the three things to focus on this International Men’s Day.
Three ways to support men’s wellbeing this International Men’s Day
1. Ask managers to conduct ‘check-in chats’
Gendered stereotypes persist, with men often perceived to be less in need of emotional support and more resilient. This means men typically have less effective support networks in place, with one in three men (35%) saying they worry about a lack of social contact with others, compared to one in four women (28%).
These stereotypes can persist in the workplace, with managers more likely to ask female employees how they’re feeling and coping than male employees. Critical to transforming this is encouraging managers to make a habit of conducting ‘check-in chats’ with men as well, to ask them how they are, instead of just talking about targets.
Although these conversations can feel a little awkward at first, over a quarter of men (28%) say a supportive manager is important for helping them to stay healthy.
Men are also much more likely to utilise support services at their managers’ suggestion, than if left to initiate asking for support themselves. Download our quick guide to conducting a wellbeing conversation for more tips.
2. Encourage men to make ‘one small change’
The top five wellbeing concerns men say they are most worried about are:
Emotional health (41%)
Ability to manage finances (40%)
Weight and physical appearance (39%)
Developing cancer (39%)
Not getting enough sleep (38%)
Source: Health at Work Report
When it comes to making positive lifestyle changes to reduce health risks, men face different challenges to women, especially when it comes to behaving differently to their peers. By encouraging them to think about ‘one small change’ they can make. you can empower them to start taking control of their health.
For example, many men who know they are consuming too much alcohol don’t want to give up going to the pub if this is their only source of social interaction. Encouraging them to think about drinking more slowly, or swapping every other drink for something non-alcoholic, for their ‘one small change’ can help them reduce health risks without losing an important source of social connection.
Similarly, those struggling to get enough sleep could consider putting in place a digital curfew, to switch off all screens after a certain time to encourage more sleep. Those who are eating unhealthily could try some batch cooking, so they can reheat healthy food without having to cook from scratch every evening, to reduce their temptation to eat junk food. The key is encouraging men to think of one small but doable thing they can put into practice.
3. Make wellbeing support more accessible
47% of men find it difficult to access their doctor or GP, while 56% have been personally affected by delays accessing NHS support. Add to that the general reluctance of men to see support and brush concerns aside and it’s never been more important to make wellbeing support more accessible.
Occupational health services, ranging from virtual GP and physiotherapy services to onsite clinicians, now often cost less to fund than the cost of covering employee absence. Used in a preventative way they can even prevent men from developing problems in the first place.
Many of the health problems that men are most concerned about, such as cancer and heart disease, are non-communicable diseases (NCDs), meaning they have subtle to no symptoms in the early stages. Blood testing, in the form of a simple finger prick test, is often required to detect earlier signs of abnormality, such as high cholesterol.
This (aggregated and anonymised) data can also be used to inform your wellbeing strategy and take stock of the issues facing male employees. It can also be useful to offer wellbeing days to give men the chance to ‘know their numbers’ and get their blood pressure and cholesterol checked and think about lifestyle factors contributing to their above average health risks. With two-fifths of men saying they value wellbeing advice based on personal data, this approach is also more likely to motivate men to make positive lifestyle changes.
The case for supporting men’s health at work
Download and share our infographic on making the case for men’s health at work. It contains our latest data on what men want and need to stay healthy.
How we can help…
At PAM OH, we are committed to helping you to put in place diverse wellbeing strategies that support all employees. Our men’s health services include:
Men’s health wellbeing days – to provide ‘know your numbers’ blood pressure and cholesterol checks and education.
Onsite occupational health – to provide you with a clinician who can drive wellbeing initiatives forward and encourage more men to seek support.
Men’s health workshops – to educate men about their particular health risks and motivate them to make ‘one small change’ to reduce these.
Manager workshops – practical sessions to educate managers about how to conduct ‘check-in chats’ with individuals and signpost them to supp
To set up a free consultation to discuss ways of supporting men’s health, as part of a diverse wellbeing strategy at your organisation, please email
info@pamgroup.co.uk – or contact your PAM Account Manager.
