Editorial: Research directions on gender and workplace health

• Date: 29 January 2025
• Pages: 1-4
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWHM-02-2025-235
• Published date: 29 January 2025
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Healthcare management,HR & organizational behaviour,Human resource policy,Employee welfare
• Author: Leire Gartzia

Editorial: Research directions on

gender and workplace health

Addressing workplace health involves a multidimensional approach in which gender plays a

critical role, affecting employees differently due to anatomic differences, gender roles, societal

expectations, occupational patterns and social and legal norms. Addressing workplace health

with a gender-sensitive approach ensures that all individuals are supported in achieving

optimal health and well-being at work. To achieve this goal, we call for papers to discuss the

complex connections of sex and gender with workplace health and management. Weenvision

healthy workplaces as those in which job design, daily performance and general management

incorporate a critical gender perspective in the understanding of organisational dynamics and

behaviour, including but not limited to the research areas described below.

Improving physical safety and ergonomics through gender analysis

On a basic level, body features can influence how individuals experience workplace safety,

health risks and ergonomics from a physical perspective. For instance, workplace designs and

equipment may often be tailored for stereotypical male body proportions and anatomy, which

can produce discomfort or injury for women and employees with non-stereotypical male

features (Roberts, 2008). Stereotypes about gender job segregation further influence these

physical conditions. Traditionally, male-dominated sectors such as construction,

manufacturing or military work pose specific physical risks like injuries and exposure to

hazardous materials. In contrast, traditionally female-dominated sectors such as caregiving,

healthcare and service sectors place women at higher risk for musculoskeletal disorders due to

repetitive tasks, heavy lifting or long hours of standing (Biswas et al., 2022). Reproductive

health is another important area where females face unique challenges due to menstrual health

or pregnancy. In contrast, males face problems such as andropause, hormone deficiency,

testicular illnesses or exposure to products that affect fertility, which can affect their health.

Particular gaps remain in research around health conditions and experiences of employees

with intersex variance. Weaim to enhance knowledge about safety and ergonomic risks in this

field and how workplace health can be improved based on less stereotyped bodily features.

Organisational values and gender norms that impact workplace health

Implicit norms and cultural values about gender stereotypes can affect career development,

promotion potential and well-being. These norms are consistent with the division of labour

whereby cultural pressures lead women to conform to communal roles and men to agentic

roles (Sczesny et al., 2018). In general, implicit discrimination leads to exclusion and unequal

treatment with negative effects on women’s career and promotion potential. Wages, training,

performance-based bonuses, professional development opportunities or access to technology

are often directed to men. In contrast, flexible work arrangements, family programs, parental

leave or diversity and inclusion initiatives are directed to women (Heilman et al., 2024). We

aim to enhance workplace knowledge about how these stereotyped workplace cultures and

implicit norms can exacerbate gender psychosocial and physical risks at work.

Another key factor to analyse is the prevalence of workplace harassment and

discrimination, which disproportionately affect women and non-binary individuals and

contribute to poor mental health outcomes like stress, anxiety and depression (Otterbach et al.,

2021). Women and gender-diverse groups (e.g. LGTBI) face higher levels of sexual

harassment, bias and subtle aggressions, particularly in male-dominated fields where gender

International

Journal of

Workplace Health

Management

1

InternationalJournal of Workplace

HealthManagement

Vol.18 No. 1, 2025

pp.1-4

©Emerald Publishing Limited

e-ISSN:1753-836X

p-ISSN:1753-8351

DOI10.1108/IJWHM-02-2025-235