Amy Flood in conversation with Helena Pagano, Executive Vice-President and Chief People and Culture Officer, Sunlife
Benefits, flexibility and health resources can all play an important role in supporting employees. Their impact, however, also depends on whether people feel comfortable using them. As Helena Pagano observes, meaningful support is not only about what an organization offers, but whether employees feel comfortable enough to ask for the help they need.
That distinction is increasingly important as organizations consider the full range of health experiences women navigate throughout their working lives. These include everyday illnesses and injuries, as well as the menopausal transition, fertility challenges, chronic pain and mental health concerns, alongside caregiving responsibilities. All of these can impact women’s participation in the workforce, their career progression and their long-term financial security.
In May, Helena joined WHCC Executive Director Amy Flood and thought leaders from business, research and advocacy at a Vital Talks event exploring the relationship between women’s health and wealth. Here, Amy and Helena continue that discussion, looking more closely at what meaningful workplace support requires, what Sunlife has learned from opening up conversations about women’s health and what becomes possible when culture, leadership and resources work together.
Amy Flood: Looking back, was there a particular moment or conversation that changed how you thought about women’s health in the workplace?
Helena Pagano: Earlier in my career, I watched women colleagues I deeply admired step back just as they were reaching the height of their careers. At the time, I did not fully understand why. As I progressed in my own career and listened to more women share their experiences, I began to understand the health challenges and caregiving responsibilities many were carrying quietly.
A few years ago, I decided to host a conversation about menopause in the workplace, and the response was overwhelming. That session opened the door to women sharing experiences related to fertility, chronic pain, mental health, caregiving and other health challenges that had affected their careers.
What I learned is that women were not stepping back because they lacked ambition or capability. Too often, they were navigating workplaces that were not designed to support the realities of their lives. That realization changed how I think about leadership. The question is not whether women are resilient enough to succeed. It is whether organizations are willing to evolve so talented people feel supported to manage their health, their responsibilities and their careers.
Amy Flood: At Sunlife, you have spoken with many women navigating experiences such as menopause, fertility challenges and chronic pain. What impact have you seen when people feel supported, heard and empowered to seek help?
Helena Pagano: One of the most powerful things I have seen is what happens when someone realizes they do not have to navigate a health challenge alone. When people feel heard and supported, they are more likely to seek help and continue pursuing their goals, both personally and professionally. They are better able to maintain confidence in themselves and continue growing their careers through challenging periods of life.
At Sunlife, we have created opportunities for open conversations about women’s health through employee sessions and discussions that help reduce stigma and create space for learning. These conversations have empowered people to speak up and share their experiences, while helping colleagues, partners and people leaders better understand how they can support one another.
Having a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up matters just as much as having benefits and resources that support their needs. When those things come together, people are better able to focus on their health without feeling that they must put their career on hold.
Amy Flood: Menopause has helped open the door to broader conversations about women’s health in the workplace. Based on Sunlife’s experience, how can organizations build on that momentum and provide meaningful support throughout women’s lives?
Helena Pagano: Menopause has been an important catalyst because it helped bring a long-overlooked issue into the open, but it is only one part of a much bigger conversation about women’s health. For too long, many women’s health challenges were treated as personal issues rather than workplace issues, often managed privately, if they were acknowledged at all.
One of the biggest lessons we have learned is that support is not just about what is available. It is also about whether people feel comfortable accessing it. Supporting women throughout their working lives is not about creating a single program or policy. It is about how culture, flexibility, benefits and leadership behaviour work together.
At Sunlife, we have hosted women’s health sessions and discussions that have helped raise awareness, reduce stigma and create opportunities for people to learn from one another. We have also continued to evolve our flexible and inclusive benefits, while encouraging leaders to create an environment where people feel comfortable talking about their health and asking for support when they need it.
What surprised me most was how eager people were to have these conversations once the door was opened. Employees, leaders and allies all wanted to learn more and support one another. That reinforced an important lesson: creating trust is just as important as creating support. It starts with listening to women, understanding where barriers still exist and creating environments where people feel comfortable accessing the resources available to them.
Amy Flood: You have often spoken about the connection between health, workforce participation and financial security. Why is that connection so important, especially for women?
Helena Pagano: We need to stop thinking about women’s health as a series of separate health issues and start recognizing it as a workforce issue, a financial security issue and an economic issue.
Many women’s health challenges occur during important career and earning years. When women do not have access to the support they need, the impact can extend well beyond their health. It can influence career progression, earning potential, retirement savings and long-term financial security.
That is why I often say investing in women’s health is a win-win-win: for women, for organizations and for the broader economy. When women are healthy and supported, they are better able to participate and thrive in their careers. Businesses benefit from retaining experienced talent, and society benefits from greater economic participation and productivity.
Amy Flood: What gives you hope when you think about the future of women’s health in the workplace?
Helena Pagano: What gives me hope is the momentum. Conversations that would have been considered too personal or uncomfortable for the workplace just a few years ago are happening much more openly today.
I have seen firsthand how one conversation can spark another, creating understanding, encouraging people to seek support and helping others feel less alone. What has been especially encouraging is hearing from people across our organization and around the world about the impact these conversations have had on them.
We still have work to do, but the willingness of people to listen, learn and support one another gives me confidence that meaningful change is possible.