Men’s health has been moving steadily up the workplace agenda, as employers recognise that a one-size-fits-all approach to employee health and wellbeing doesn’t always reach everyone.
Over the past few years, Make a Difference has explored men’s health from a range of perspectives, from mental and financial wellbeing to workplace culture and engagement.
Here, we’ve brought together six of our most-read articles on men’s health at work, highlighting practical ideas, employer experiences and expert insights that continue to resonate with our readers.
1. Active Leeds: how building a Men’s Health Network on data paved way for success
What does an effective workplace men’s health network look like in practice?
In this case study, Active Leeds Health and Wellbeing Lead Neil Jones shares what the organisation learned during the first year of its Men’s Health Network and Manbassador programme.
One of the key lessons was the importance of using data rather than assumptions to understand what male employees actually need. Active Leeds used anonymised data from conversations with its Manbassadors alongside sickness and health data to identify emerging issues and adapt its approach.
The experience also reinforced the value of camaraderie, connection, trust and creating opportunities for conversations to happen naturally.
2. 8 ways to engage men with health & wellbeing at work
How can employers encourage more men to engage with workplace health and wellbeing without simply expecting them to respond to approaches that may not work for them?
This article brings together practical advice from experts and employers, including the importance of understanding how men may communicate differently, building trust and offering different routes into support.
From peer support and healthy competition to humour, anonymous resources and allowing conversations to develop naturally, it offers eight ideas for employers looking to improve engagement with male employees.
3. Men’s Health Week: Why silence should never be mistaken for financial security
Financial wellbeing is an important part of the men’s health conversation, but financial difficulties are not always easy for employers to spot.
This article explores the relationship between men’s financial wellbeing and their wider mental and physical health, including the pressure some men feel to fulfil traditional expectations around being a provider.
It also looks at why apparently successful or higher-earning employees can still experience significant financial anxiety, and why employers should ensure support is designed and communicated in ways that encourage people to engage before problems reach crisis point.
4. 8 ways employers can involve men in the menopause conversation
Menopause support may understandably focus primarily on the women directly experiencing it, but male colleagues, managers and partners also have an important role to play.
This article looks at why involving men can help create more supportive workplace cultures and offers eight practical ways employers can bring them into the conversation.
Rather than assuming men are uncomfortable discussing menopause, it highlights evidence that many are receptive to learning more, particularly when employers create opportunities to ask questions and build understanding.
5. Mental Health Myths about Men
“Men don’t talk about their feelings” remains one of the most persistent assumptions surrounding men’s mental health. But is it actually true?
Drawing on insights from Movember and others working in men’s health, this article challenges some of the stereotypes that can prevent employers from understanding what male employees really need.
It explores the pressures surrounding modern male identity and explains why creating the right environment, using the right language and showing that you are genuinely ready to listen can make a significant difference to whether men engage.
6. 11 top tips for talking to Men about Mental Health
If employers want men to engage with mental health support, how they start the conversation matters.
This practical article brings together 11 tips from experts on communicating with men about mental health, from reconsidering the language used to encouraging shoulder-to-shoulder conversations and peer support.
It also explores the links between work, identity and self-worth, the importance of recognising that all men are not the same, and the powerful role male leaders can play by speaking openly about their own mental health.
Taken together, these six articles show that improving men’s health at work isn’t simply about adding more wellbeing initiatives.
It’s about understanding the barriers that can stop men engaging with support, challenging assumptions about what men do and don’t want to talk about, and creating different routes into conversations around physical, mental and financial health.
For employers, the opportunity is to make sure men’s health becomes part of an inclusive, preventative approach to workplace health and wellbeing, rather than something that only comes into focus during Men’s Health Week.
