Group of women talking. Conversations is the first step to creating impact.

“We created a health series … where our first one was on menopause. We thought we would get 50 participants and instead got over 400”

Sarika Gundu, BMO

“It is often too late in terms of what a benefits plan can do to support you if you don't have the awareness to advocate for what those needs are”

Amy Lang, Colliers

In Partnership with

Conversations are the first step in creating impact

These experts get candid on menopause, menstruation, and motherhood

Read on

Andrea Belvedere

Sun Life

Sarika Gundu

BMO

Amy Lang

Colliers

Christopher Lee

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Industry experts

SO MANY aspects of our lives allow for customization and tailoring, yet when it comes to healthcare, a universal approach is applied. There has been inadequate consideration of the fact that health policies and programs have not been designed to take into account the differences between male and female bodies when it comes to health. Steps have been taken to fill the gaps, yet women are still falling through large cracks. Take, for example, the Mayo Clinic’s finding that women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression – some of which is due to normal hormonal changes that come with postpartum, fertility, and menopause. These matters were formerly unmentionable. Now, women look to open the channels of communication on topics such as menopause and the impact it can have on a career trajectory. Women face unique challenges when it comes to their health, which can cause some to leave their careers prematurely – at a point when they are gaining significant momentum. As it stands, women are far from achieving parity with men in C-suite executive roles. Addressing their healthcare needs can go a long way toward increasing female representation. To break down the stigmas attached to such topics, open dialogue is essential. When employees are comfortable in their belief in an organization’s support, it allows for greater productivity and engagement. Managing editor of Canadian HR Reporter Sarah Dobson convened the Mental Health Roundtable and served as its moderator. Dobson was joined by Andrea Belvedere, assistant vice president, health benefits and solutions at Sun Life; Sarika Gundu, director, Canadian health & welfare benefits at BMO Financial Group, and Amy Lang, director of talent development, North America at Colliers.

Lang agreed with Gundu in noting that the creation of forums for discussion is essential, and Gundu went on to say, “Creating psychologically safe spaces in the workplace is essential. One of the best ways to do that is by creating employee resource groups [ERG]. At BMO we have many, one of them being the BMO Alliance for Women. “We've strengthened our partnership with ERGs. Surprisingly, that came about because of the pandemic. We all got so virtually connected, and it really helped us engage with many employees. “In partnering with ERGs, people already know that's their community, and that's where they can go for insights, to share and support. We created a health series with them, where our first one was on menopause. We thought we would get 50 participants and instead got over 400.” Women may not even be aware of the details of potential health issues in their future and, as Lang asserted, “Having that environment is key, where you can learn and understand what you might need to think about. It is often too late in terms of what a benefits plan can do to support you if you don't have the awareness to advocate for what those needs are.”

The panellists agreed unanimously that adopting a proactive, tailored approach to the needs of female employees leads to improved staff retention and talent attraction. Belvedere said, “People can feel uncomfortable speaking about topics such as menstruation and menopause – but it's not just reproductive health. There is a gender health gap that extends to virtually all aspects of women's health, including heart health, physical health, and mental health. If we don't talk about these things, they continue to go unsupported. “Sun Life has partnerships set up with the Menopause Foundation and is creating a body of published work around women's health, to de-stigmatize and share valuable information.”

Belvedere said, “With menopause as an example, we know that three out of four women experience menopausal symptoms that interfere with their daily lives. A recent study found that 10 percent of women left their jobs or were planning to leave their jobs due to of these types of symptoms. “Menopause is a workplace issue – it's a talent concern, culture concern, and a retention issue. While it isn’t discussed often, there's been a lot of positive momentum. If we’d said the word menopause five years ago, people would probably have recoiled a little bit.

“With menopausal symptoms causing women to consider leaving work, it is often in senior leadership roles, where they were excited about further growth prospects. Hearing that women may step back due to menopause is not the way forward. “A long history of inadequate recognition and support of women's health still affects women in the workplace. When people are reluctant to examine such issues, it reduces the general awareness of health conditions. It reduces funding for important research and medical advances. It also means women may delay seeking help. “We've seen exclusion of women from clinical trials in the past, with concerns about women's hormones, and a distortion of results. This leaves women underrepresented in medical research. Treatments tested on men don't necessarily work well on women. For example, today, women experience 75 percent of adverse drug reactions in Canada. “The positive news is that we are seeing inclusion of women in research; it's still underfunded, but it better reflects their needs.”

The burden of balancing primary caregiving responsibilities and a career continues to present a significant challenge. Until recently, flexible work arrangements were heavily stigmatized. As Lang said, “Prior to the pandemic I felt a pressure to be sure that I was visibly working, which led to not focusing on the result. I was focused on being present at the office, versus having a results-based approach to my work. “Today there’s a change in perspective in how we approach our work, asking, how are you adding value? That's been a big shift that has helped advance women in our careers, more so than with our male counterparts.”

An environment of trust and support comes from the top. Gundu underscored that, saying, “It's vital. If we want women to grow within an organization, they need to feel that they can grow. They need relatable women with similar family structures in senior positions, so they can aspire and become executives themselves.” Lang added, “Commercial real estate is typically very male-dominated. How do we give women that pathway to aspire upwards? At Colliers, from the leadership

“Employers need to meet people where they are, putting them at the centre of the benefits plans [rather than] simply handing the benefits plan over – thinking of benefits as a solution versus a standalone function.” People respond well to executive sponsorship of supportive workplace initiatives, as Gundu pointed out. “Employees need to see that their leaders are leaning in on these conversations – that they are not only sponsoring, but they're also sharing what's in their world as well and being authentic.” While there may be a cost barrier to implementing significant changes in the benefits offered to employees, all the

participants agreed that beginning the conversation and connecting with other groups can lead to meaningful change. “There are ERGs for minority groups that will be able to provide you with some eye-opening understandings of their concerns, so don't be afraid to have those conversations. There are always areas of opportunity,” said Gundu. All three panellists reminded workers to be proactive with their health and look in detail at what is available in their current benefits plan. Employers can hold up their end of the bargain through sincere conversations that provide workers with definitive plans and decrease the shame that previously surrounded certain healthcare topics. In making the commitment to speaking about stigmatized healthcare concerns, women feel heard and accepted – a key factor in retention. Further details on initiatives available at Sun Life that support women’s health are in this Bright Paper report.

Focusing on women's health

33%

Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance, and health solutions to individual and institutional clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bermuda. As of March 31, 2023, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.36 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Find out more

With a focus on delivering best-in-class plan-member experiences, as well as innovating, testing, and learning, and finding new ways to deliver value to clients, Andrea works across Sun Life and group benefits with a client-first mindset. Andrea joined Sun Life in 2017 and brings a range of experience that includes technology and organizational transformation consulting. Outside of work, Andrea runs a women’s hockey league, and has been playing hockey for almost 30 years.

Sun Life

Andrea Belvedere

Sarika is a senior people and culture leader who uses her extensive experience in employee health to transform workplaces into performance-driven cultures, where employees feel engaged, empowered, and psychologically safe to bring their whole selves to work. She is currently the director, Canadian health and welfare benefits at BMO, and is also a lead on BMO’s DEI Council. Sarika formerly led Deloitte Canada’s wellness and benefits program. Prior to Deloitte, she pioneered the development of a national workplace mental health program called the Workforce Mental Health Collaborative at the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), national office.

BMO

Sarika Gundu

Amy Lang is the director of talent development, North America at Colliers. In her role, she leads talent planning, learning and development, and sales training and leadership programs. With over 15 years of experience in the real estate industry, Amy brings a business-driven approach to talent development, partnering with leaders to identify opportunities to attract, retain, and develop top talent. Amy holds an organizational coaching certification from the University of British Columbia and also coaches leaders, top producers, and teams to maximize their potential. Amy is committed to fostering an inclusive environment and has helped guide and grow Colliers' award-winning North American diversity and inclusion program.

Colliers

Amy Lang

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MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Mark HarChristopher Leeon

In Partnership with

Conversations are the first step in creating impact

These experts get candid on menopause, menstruation and motherhood

Read on

Christopher Lee

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Amy Lang

Colliers

Sarika Gundu

BMO

Andrea Belvedere

Sun Life

Industry experts

Sun Life

Andrea Belvedere

BMO

Sarika Gundu

Colliers

Amy Lang

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Christopher Lee

In Partnership with

Conversations are the first step in creating impact

These experts get candid on menopause, menstruation and motherhood

Read on

Christopher Lee

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Amy Lang

Colliers

Sarika Gundu

BMO

Andrea Belvedere

Sun Life

Industry experts

BMO

Sarika Gundu

Colliers

Amy Lang

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Christopher Lee

Sun Life

Andrea Belvedere

Leadership can cultivate an atmosphere of support

Published 02 October 2023

“A recent study found that 10 percent of women left their jobs or were planning to leave their jobs due to of these types of symptoms”

Andrea Belvedere, Sun Life

“When people are reluctant to examine such issues, it reduces the general awareness of health conditions. It reduces funding for important research and medical advances. It also means women may delay seeking help”

Andrea Belvedere, Sun Life

Percentage of women who said their group benefits plan didn’t provide enough coverage to meet their needs.

Percentage of women’s long-term disability claims that are for mental disorders.

Over 40%

Proportion of women who experience menopausal symptoms that interfere with their daily lives. 54% of women believe the topic is taboo.

3 out of 4

Percentage of adverse drug reactions that are experienced by women.

75%

Nine out of 10 women report having been stressed or anxious at work because of their period.

The impact of the gender health gap

Of women who give birth, 23% experience post-partum depression. Only 30% actually receive treatment, and about 50% are never diagnosed.

According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, half of women who experience heart attacks have their symptoms go unrecognized.

Stigma can limit opportunities

Gundu agreed, saying, “You need to have flexibility in the workplace, you need to see it, and you need to experience it. If we first create psychologically safe spaces, people will share daily activities more openly. Employees are honest about how they're working differently, but they're still getting the work done. “Organizations need to ask themselves, is what they're providing flexible? Is it supporting the new ways of work as we come out of the pandemic?"

Domestic responsibilities demand career sacrifice

perspective, we have achieved great diversity in terms of gender. However, at the producer and brokers level it is very male-dominated. “How can we support women coming into an industry that they're excited and curious about? Becoming a broker is not always a viable path for women, owing to the commission-based compensation structure and lack of benefits.

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Andrea Belvedere, Sun Life

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Resources

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