The Function of Women: Understanding and Accommodating Women at Work

Women’s health is a predictable and ongoing part of the workforce experience. Yet the impact on work is often overlooked and the workplace response delayed or minimized.

Across a woman’s lifespan, we see reproductive health conditions, pregnancy and postpartum transitions, perimenopause and menopause, chronic and autoimmune conditions, and caregiver transitions that often compound everything else. Many health considerations also fall under protected grounds (related to sex, family status, and disability) under Canadian human rights law. Employers are required to accommodate employees to the point of undue hardship when health-related needs intersect with these grounds.

While many employers recognize their duty to accommodate, recognizing the need for accommodation may be more of a challenge when it comes to women’s issues. Better understanding how women’s experiences affect day-to-day function, and how rigid systems create barriers, can help employers implement more equitable support.

Understanding Women’s Function at Work

There are many conditions unique to women (and assigned-female-at-birth individuals). Despite being common, women’s health concerns are often more difficult to recognize and support in the workplace.

Physical Health Conditions

Reproductive health conditions such as Endometriosis or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome can involve chronic pelvic pain, fatigue, and difficulty maintaining concentration. Pregnancy and postpartum recovery bring changes to physical capacity, energy levels, and workplace attendance due to medical appointments. Perimenopause and menopause can introduce challenges such as sleep disruption and brain fog.

These experiences meaningfully affect how work tasks are performed. Yet, many symptoms are normalized as “just part of life,” leading individuals to push through discomfort rather than identify a need for support. At the same time, these health experiences are often invisible and fluctuating. Symptoms may change from day to day or follow cyclical patterns, making it difficult to predict capacity or maintain consistent performance. Traditional workplace structures tend to assume stable, ongoing limitations, which does not reflect the reality of episodic conditions.

Neurodivergence and Mental Health

In some cases, conditions may also present differently in women. For example, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be expressed through internalized symptoms such as overwhelm or difficulty sustaining attention, rather than more external visible behaviours. This can make it harder to identify support needs based on traditional expectations. Women are also more likely to experience anxiety disorders, depression, trauma, eating disorders, and multiple concurrent diagnoses. The contributing factors of mental health are important to understand because several of them are workplace-related and unique to women.

Risk Factors for Women’s Health

Emotional labour (the often-unrecognized work of managing relationships, navigating gender dynamics, and absorbing organizational tension) is disproportionately carried by women. Harassment, microaggressions, and violence increase psychological load. Caregiver burden, combined with the demands of full-time work, compounds the risk of burnout and depression.​ Hormonal transitions (pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause) are also significant risk periods for mental health. ​ A disability accommodation that only addresses the mental health diagnosis without addressing these root causes is unlikely to be effective long-term.​

It is also important to recognize that these experiences are not uniform. Intersectional factors such as race, indigeneity, disability, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation can influence access to care, contribute to diagnostic delays, and shape how concerns are perceived and addressed in the workplace. As a result, a “one-size-fits-all” approach to accommodation is unlikely to meet diverse needs equitably.

Structural Workplace Barriers

Workplace structures are not always designed to account for these realities. Expectations around availability, productivity, and career progression may not reflect the demands of caregiving or the need for flexibility. Individuals who require modified schedules or reduced hours may face unintended consequences, such as limited advancement opportunities or perceptions of reduced commitment. In some roles, there may be increased safety concerns. Ill-fitting personal protective equipment, higher exposure to workplace hazards, and job designs that do not account for differences in body size or strength can increase the likelihood of injury or strain. Gender pay disparities can further limit access to resources and flexibility when managing health or caregiving needs.

These structural dynamics can unintentionally disadvantage women, even when accommodations are technically available. There are also barriers related to disclosure. Conversations about reproductive, hormonal, or mental health can feel deeply personal, and many individuals may hesitate to share this information at work. Concerns about stigma, being perceived as less capable, or being seen as a burden can lead to under-disclosure or delayed requests for support.

How to Accommodate for Women’s Issues

Women’s health doesn’t require a different accommodation process, but it does require a more informed and flexible approach. The difference is not in the accommodation itself, but the understanding that accommodations are a) needed and b) equitable. To address barriers, proactive and responsive support can help address challenges earlier and reduce the risk of escalation.

For employees, this often involves identifying how their symptoms affect specific job tasks and considering what types of adjustments may help them in their role. Asking for accommodations may not feel easy, but feeling prepared and knowing your rights and available supports can help. For employers, it involves creating space for open, respectful conversations, inquiring if accommodations are needed, and focusing on functional impact.

Support may take many forms, including flexibility in scheduling, adjustments to workload, or changes to how or where tasks are performed. These approaches are often low-cost and can be implemented on a temporary or evolving basis, depending on need. Knowing that accommodations are needed, many workplace impacts are predictable, and that systems (not symptoms) create barriers, is the first step.

Ultimately, reactive accommodation is more costly than proactive design. How can you design a workplace that reflects real human lives?

How Can Gowan Consulting Help?

If you have any questions about the accommodation process or what accommodations might be needed for an employee, contact us! Our occupational therapists are experts at conducting accommodation assessments that effectively support individuals and find solutions to their health and productivity challenges. If you are an employer ready to make a referral for an employee, please submit your information through our referral portal.