Workplace Case Study: Sun Life

Sunlife logo
Helena Pagano, EVP, Chief People & Culture Officer, Sun Life

“This work is helping to dismantle the institutional bias that still exist within workplaces, preventing many women from reaching their full career potential. Longer term we believe this will be key to Sun Life’s competitive advantage and that it will contribute to healthier societies in which we operate.”

Helena Pagano, EVP, Chief People and Culture Officer, Sun Life

The Organization:

Number of employees in Canada: 13,000+

Proportion of employees who are women, age 40+: 

  • 34% of Sun Life’s Canadian workforce are women, age 40+
  • 30% of Sun Life’s Global workforce are women, age 40+

Sun Life, a large Canadian-based financial services company, recognizes the critical link between women’s health and career success, and is a leading advocate of the role workplaces must play in supporting women’s health and empowering them to thrive in their professional lives.

How Sun Life is taking action:

  • Hosting regular global well-being sessions focused on menopause and women’s health, leveraging the participation of external experts to support authentic conversation about menopause, to break down barriers and challenge misunderstandings or stereotypes;

  • Offering flexible, hybrid work to balance days; access to menopause resources, materials and education; care days, hormone therapy, mental health coverage; health and personal spending accounts; workplace accommodations;

  • Leveraging internal communications channels to engage the Chief People and Culture Officer and other senior leaders at internal events to reinforce the menopause-inclusive message;

  • Equipping clients with menopause-relevant data and research to inform their own workplace strategies to accelerate their path to menopause inclusivity;

  • Amplifying the importance of women’s health and a menopause inclusive workplace by participating in national news stories and external events around the world as a thought leader and via social media postings on menopause inclusivity;

  • Stepping up publicly as the first organization to sign on as a Partner with the Menopause Foundation of Canada’s Menopause Works Here™ campaign to identify ways to better support and advocate for women in the workplace.

Advice from Sun Life for organizations seeking to become menopause inclusive:

  • 1

    Leadership matters.

    It starts in the C-Suite, with recognition of the importance of a menopause-inclusive workplace that fully values women in the prime of their careers as a key business imperative. Leadership should be visible and engaged, reinforcing the message at all levels.

  • 2

    It doesn’t have to be complicated.

    Support can be simple and incremental. Start by creating safe spaces for people to share their experiences, moments where it is possible to break down barriers and challenge misunderstandings or stereotypes about women’s health. Make sure to share information widely to enable women to feel fully supported about entering this stage in life, both professionally and personally.

  • 3

    Support, don’t solve, personal health concerns.

    Remember, it’s not the role of people leaders to solve personal health concerns, whether it’s mental health challenges or menopause. The role of people leaders is to create work environments in which people feel comfortable discussing obstacles they face, providing an opportunity to work with them with openness and empathy to determine how best to support their needs and how to access the appropriate resources to support the menopause journey.

The Impact

What employees are saying about Sun Life’s menopause-focused programs: 

  • “I can’t thank [Sun Life] enough for taking this leadership stance on this and being brave to lead the way in this topic. It’s very hard for some of us to talk about it, and the changes it does to us … and to still show up every day. I personally have a hard time talking about this very personal item and finally feel that I can. Thank you again!”
  • “So empowering to hear other women’s perspectives and experiences. I know next to nothing about menopause but it clearly has a significant impact on women’s health and well-being. The stigma surrounding it doesn’t help women be forthcoming with their issues. I’m so happy that Sunlife is offering these sessions. Thank you!! This session was refreshing and so needed!”
Menopause Works Here logo