Male employees put off health issues lead to workplace disruption

New date shows that Two fifths of employers experience workplace disruption due to male employees not addressing health issues, according to B2B digital health and wellness platform, Peppy.

Research found that 39% of men will wait until a health problem becomes more severe before talking to a line manager or HR.

Furthermore, 37% of employers said that one of the main issues when trying to manage men’s health issues in the workplace is their unwillingness to seek help, with around one quarter (26%) of employers recording presenteeism as a problem among male employees.

 Other findings of the research also identified “macho” cultures where illness is perceived to be a weakness, a lack of support for male-specific issues and places where men can access support, and a lack of suitable role models as factors that effect men’s health in the workplace.

Dr. Mridula Pore, chief executive of Peppy, commented: “In general, men are simply not engaged with the healthcare system. It’s not uncommon for male employees to make claims about ‘never having had a day off work’ or ‘not having visited a GP since they were young’ but this could mean serious conditions are missed.

“In the context of the workplace, we need to encourage men to get support as soon as they have any concerns or show symptoms. These early interventions can prevent an illness becoming more severe and ultimately mean less disruption to the employer.”

Peppy’s research, conducted among 504 HR decision-makers, found that nearly half (45%) of employers said they offer support in the workplace specifically for men’s health, with a further 20% planning to offer it within the next twelve months.

“To shift the needle on men’s workplace health, employers must offer the right type of support, and it needs to be both convenient and give assurance. A tech-based solution ticks many of the right boxes but it will not be effective unless it is communicated regularly to increase engagement,” Pore said.

“We need to prevent men from having any excuse to delay discussing symptoms, particularly as fitting a GP appointment around work can be difficult and many feel uncomfortable divulging health concerns directly to an employer.”

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