Women's health
and parenthood at work

Key findings from the 2026 Reflet Major Study

Women's health remains a blind spot in HR policies in France. While the Ministry of Labor has made mental health the national priority for 2025-2026 and the 2026-2030 Occupational Health Plan explicitly identifies women's health as a strategic focus, the reality experienced by employees remains largely invisible within companies.

To provide an objective view of this reality, Reflet surveyed its community and partner network during the summer of 2026: 227 respondents, the vast majority of whom were working women aged 26 to 45, employed in companies of all sizes.

The result is clear : health and parenthood are not peripheral issues in professional life, —they shape it directly, at a cost that few companies currently measure.

“83% of respondents feel that their health has a significant impact on their professional life (score ≥ 7/10) — and 88% have already downplayed or hidden their symptoms at work.”

Methodology

Targeted collection, rigorous processing, transparent reporting: here is how this study was conducted, from gathering responses to analyzing the results.

Data collection

• 227 respondents, surveyed between July and August 2026, over a 6-week collection period
• Distributed via the Reflet community (3,000+ active members) and a network of professional partners
• Online self-administered questionnaire, 25 questions, anonymized by default
• Average completion time: 3 minutes
• Strictly voluntary participation, with no financial incentives

Sample composition

• 220 women and 7 men, across all active age groups (20 to 55 years old)
• 65% employees, 12% freelancers, 8% job seekers, 7% students, 2% business owners
• Age distribution: 49% are 26-35, 30% are 36-45, 14% are 20-25
• All company sizes are represented, from micro-businesses (fewer than 10 employees) to large corporations (over 1,000 employees)
• All sectors represented, with a stronger presence from the health/medico-social, retail, and tech sectors

Processing and analysis

• Data cleaning and consolidation (exclusion of incomplete responses, harmonization of open-ended fields)
• Quantitative analysis via frequency distribution and cross-tabulation (gender, age, professional status)
• Qualitative analysis of open-ended comments to illustrate and add nuance to the quantitative results

This study does not claim to be nationally representative in the way a polling institute would (the sample was not adjusted by quotas): it reflects the voice of a community engaged with these topics, mobilized through Reflet and its partners. It is a qualitative study, not a formal poll; its strength lies elsewhere: it provides a remarkably consistent view of a widely shared experience that has, until now, remained largely unspoken in the workplace. The male sample (n=7) is particularly too small to be generalized and is presented for indicative purposes only.

Key figures: women's health at work

1. A massive, yet largely invisible impact

Almost all respondents recognize a direct link between their health and their professional performance—yet this link remains unspoken within the company.

Presenteeism (coming to work despite health issues that would justify taking leave) affects 87% of respondents. It is a symptom of a corporate culture where taking time off is still perceived as an individual cost rather than a legitimate need.

2. Organizational silence

The lack of information and the silence from companies on these topics create an environment ripe for self-censorship.

‍“I burned out one month after returning to work from maternity leave. […] Beware of 'CSR-washing' that is used to attract talent but doesn't actually translate into the daily reality of young mothers.”

Anonymous testimonial from a study respondent.

3. A real driver for employer branding, HR, and retention

Respondents are clear: a company's commitment to these topics is not just a cosmetic "extra"—it is a concrete decision-making criterion, both when applying for a job and while in a role.

These figures position women's health and parenthood as a direct lever for talent attraction and retention—the two most cited HR pain points for companies today.

4. Gender perspective: a shared challenge

The study collected 220 responses from women and 7 from men. While this male sample is too small to be statistically robust, it nonetheless highlights a trend consistent with Reflet’s mission: health and parenthood are not exclusively women's issues.

*Very small sample size (7 respondents) — to be interpreted as an indicative trend, not a representative result.

What this changes for companies

These results paint a simple picture: women's health and parenthood at work are no longer peripheral HR topics; they are direct levers for performance, retention, and employer branding that are still largely ignored:

• A DUERP and a QWL policy that do not integrate these issues are missing a major risk and cost factor (absenteeism, presenteeism, turnover)
• A company that structures concrete support (referents, resources, awareness) stands out significantly in a tight recruitment market
• This topic aligns directly with the priorities of the 2026-2030 Occupational Health Plan supported by the government