Bridging the Gap: Putting Modern Masculinity into Your Wellbeing Strategy

The light-bulb moment:

While drafting a whole-company wellbeing strategy this spring, I realised our calendar was rich in menopause cafes, fertility benefits and women-in-leadership talks, yet almost silent on men’s evolving challenges. 

Sustainable wellbeing needs all parts of the gender story.

 

Why the UK data demands attention

  • 37 % of young men (18–34) still feel society expects them to be “the breadwinner”. 

  • Men are less likely to seek help early: only 36 % of NHS Talking-Therapy referrals are male. 

  • At work the pattern repeats, men make just 29.5 % of Employee Assistance Programme calls. 

  • The consequence can be fatal: the male suicide rate rose to 17.4 per 100 000 in 2023, the highest since 1999. 

  • Cultural and financial barriers persist; just 5 % of eligible fathers take Shared 

These figures are not about men versus women, they are a reminder than in talking about one gender we don’t need to suppress the other. 

Example company initiative: a Men’s Health panel

One practical response I recommend to clients is a hybrid panel event; “Modern Masculinity: Identity, Emotions & Hormones.”

Four moves to weave men’s health into your strategy

Calendar audit:

Slot at least one male-focused initiative into June each year so the topic is visible by design, not luck.

Up-skill managers:

Around 70 % of line managers have never been trained to start a mental-health conversation. Equip them with the skills to talk to any gender, not just those who look like them.

Measure engagement by gender:

Break down EAP, absence and benefit-uptake data. If men lag, tweak messaging (voice, imagery, channels) and recruit male wellbeing champions.

Promote shared caregiving:

Normalising dad leave chips away at the breadwinner myth and reduces burnout for mothers. Highlight Shared Parental Leave stories, adjust policies where you can, and celebrate fathers who model the change.

The takeaway questio

Your programme may already shine on menopause and women’s leadership. Does it do the same for modern masculinity? Balanced wellbeing is sustainable well being, and every June offers a ready-made springboard to close the gap.

 

Wellness as One