New Sun Life program promises Canadian employers match benefits to women's real health and career needs
Six in 10 working women think menstruation, menopause and reproductive health issues can hold back their careers, yet only 37 percent feel their employer provides adequate resources and support.
According to Sun Life’s 2024 research with Ipsos, that gap now sits squarely in the benefits and workplace design space.
Menopause and women’s health: where plans fall short
Sun Life’s study of more than 1,400 employed Canadian women found that mental health ranked as the top health concern for 56 percent of respondents, across all age groups.
The research reported that more than 40 percent of disability claims for women are for mental disorders, versus about 30 percent for men, and that women face multiple caregiving roles and reproductive health stress that can drive those claims.
Support does not match that level of need.
Only 46 percent of women said their employer benefits cover mental health treatments, and 36 percent said any coverage they do have is not enough to meet their needs.
Among those who believed they had coverage, half did not know the dollar amount, and almost one in five did not know whether their employer offered coverage for treatment at all.
The paper cited the Canadian Psychological Association’s view that $3,500–$4,000 a year typically funds the 15–20 therapy sessions required for a therapeutic outcome for depression or anxiety.
The same research found that 60 percent of women believed health issues around menstruation, menopause and reproductive health can affect advancement.
Only 47 percent felt comfortable asking for accommodations such as flexible hours or modified workstations, and only 42 percent said their workplace culture allowed open conversations about women’s health.
Twenty‑nine percent felt they had to hide the real reason for women’s‑health‑related sick days.
New virtual menopause care through Dialogue
Sun Life now links that evidence to a menopause care offering for plan members and dependants who use Lumino Health Virtual Care. The program includes:
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personalised care plans and educational resources that consider multiple treatment options, including menopause hormone therapy where appropriate
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access within days to an in‑house team of multidisciplinary clinicians trained in women’s health
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coaching and navigation support with ongoing follow‑ups to adjust care plans and address menopause symptoms
Erin Crump, vice‑president, market development at Sun Life Health, said workplace changes around awareness and policy can influence how women experience menopause at work.
She said the new menopause care program focuses on earlier access to clinicians, clearer information and follow‑up support.
The offering sits alongside existing virtual supports that Sun Life highlighted in its research, including Lumino Health Virtual Care’s Stress Management and Well‑Being program and the Mental Health Coach delivered by Kii Health (formerly CloudMD).
What women want from their plans
According to Sun Life’s Ipsos research, nearly seven in 10 women said their benefits plan meets their needs overall, but awareness drops on items closely tied to women’s health.
The share of women who did not know whether their plan covered specific benefits included 31 percent for contraceptives, 42 percent for fertility treatments, 43 percent for menopause support, 46 percent for breastfeeding support and 47 percent for gender‑affirming surgeries.
Many participants described their plans as under‑used or misaligned with their life stage or family needs.
In qualitative responses, about half of women said they would pay for more benefits for their own health, and 53 percent said they would pay more to extend benefits to additional family members.
They most often mentioned women‑specific supports such as menstrual products, period‑pain medication and birth control including IUDs; more comprehensive pre‑ and post‑natal care; and wellness supports such as massage therapy, yoga, fitness memberships and weight‑loss medications. Some also pointed to fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilisation as a priority.
Health, wealth and inclusion
The press material noted that women retire with 30 percent less wealth and spend 25 percent more time in poor health.
Sun Life’s report on Women and Wealth said women systemically under‑use workplace savings plans at every income level and career stage, but that access to digital planning tools and professional advice can reverse that gap in plan maximisation.
