Why supporting women at work benefits everyone

What does “Give to Gain” actually mean in the workplace?

It means giving:

• Time to listen
• Psychological safety to speak openly
• Access to credible health information
• Flexibility without penalty
• Real wellbeing support, not just slogans

When organisations give these things consistently, they gain retention, loyalty, discretionary effort, leadership strength and cultural credibility and the evidence supports this. We know that women in midlife are one of the fastest growing groups in the workforce. We also know many consider stepping back or leaving due to health challenges, caring responsibilities or lack of flexibility.

As I often say, women don’t lack capability, they often lack structural support at the moments it matters most.

This is where Perkbox plays a tangible role. A wellbeing platform should not be a tick-box benefit. It should be an ecosystem that gives employees access to support before small issues become crisis points.

Perkbox supports this in practical ways:

• Providing access to Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)
• Offering wellbeing resources employees can access discreetly
• Normalising conversations about mental and physical health
• Giving organisations data insights to understand workforce trends
• Enabling benefits that ease financial and everyday pressures

When these tools are embedded properly, and communicated well, they create space for women to seek support early, which is so important as many professional women won’t announce they’re struggling. They’ll keep performing. They’ll keep delivering. Until they can’t.

The strongest women in your organisation are often the least likely to ask for help. That’s why access matters. Quiet access. Easy access. Normalised access.

Perkbox gives organisations a way to give support consistently and at scale. But technology alone is not enough. Culture determines whether tools are used.

What organisations can give, starting now

If you’re a senior leader or HR director reading this, Give to Gain can start with very practical steps:

1. Make women’s health visible and legitimate.
   Menopause, fertility treatment, menstrual health, pregnancy loss, these are not fringe issues. They affect performance, attendance and confidence. Provide credible information and signal that conversations are welcome.
2. Train managers properly.
   Many line managers want to be supportive but fear saying the wrong thing. Equip them with language and confidence.
3. Protect flexibility.
   Flexible working should not quietly derail progression. Women notice when those who work flexibly are overlooked.
4. Promote the EAP repeatedly.
   Not once. Not in induction only. Repetition normalises use.
5. Model from the top.
   When senior leaders speak openly about wellbeing, utilisation increases.

Support only works when it is culturally safe to use. You can’t just provide it,  you have to permission it.

Giving knowledge is giving power

One of the most powerful forms of giving is knowledge.  Giving women evidence-based information changes trajectories and organisations that partner with credible, clinically grounded platforms ensure that what they are giving is safe, accurate and responsible.

Communities gain when women stay

When workplaces retain experienced women, entire systems benefit.

Teams gain organisational memory.
Younger colleagues gain mentors.
Organisations gain stability.
Families gain security.
Communities gain economically.

That is the true meaning of Give to Gain. Every time a talented woman leaves because she feels unsupported, it is not just her loss, it is a collective loss.

This International Women’s Day 2026

Let’s move beyond symbolic gestures and ask what tangibly advances women. Are we giving:

• Access to real support?
• Time for recovery?
• Evidence instead of opinion?
• Flexibility without stigma?
• Clear progression pathways?

Perkbox gives organisations a structure through which to deliver much of this support, but leadership gives it meaning. When organisations give generously, in culture, in policy, in practice, they don’t diminish performance, they strengthen it.

My final thought:

When women thrive, workplaces thrive and that is the ultimate return on investment.