According to a recent study, female employees have a higher incidence of psychological distress than their male colleagues in workplaces where there is gender inequality (more men than women).

The study, conducted by Sofia Elwer, a researcher at the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine at Umea University in Sweden, monitored the psychological distress and well-being levels of 715 workers, taking into account the gender ratios within each specific workplace. The research showed evidence that women who worked in places with a significantly unequal gender ratio were subject to a higher level of psychological distress.

As part of the study, researchers also tested working environments with equal numbers of men and women. In these environments, they discovered both men and women experienced equal amounts of psychological well-being.

What were some of the factors causing stress? In workplaces with greater gender inequality, researchers found that the major stress-inducing factors included issues such as paid time off for caring for sick children, equal pay and equality in work/project assignments.

As a result, researchers concluded that gender equality, or inequality, is a definite determinant of employee satisfaction, mental health and employee wellness in the workplace, and needs to be taken into account by health practitioners and administrators.

The study begs the question: Would workplaces with a higher level of gender inequality benefit from an employee assistance program/plan?

EAPs are specifically designed to monitor and benefit workplace health and employee behavioral health. By providing employee counseling for a variety of problems, EAPS can improve productivity and cut down absenteeism. Today's EAPs can also help in specialized areas such as aiding veterans in the workplace and helping employees cope with workplace disaster situations and can also assist employees who are coming back to work after recovering from mental illness and other disabilities.

EAP personnel provide counseling that's geared not only for the personal problems of employees, but also for their workplace challenges. EAP staff are trained to help employees who are dealing with issues that are entirely workplace-related, such as stress, bullying and hostile environments due to inappropriate behavior.

In addition, an EAPs can also offer guidance and counseling when it comes to dealing with cases of actual or perceived discrimination due to gender, race or any other reason. EAPs offer workplace diversity training to all tiers of employment, from entry-level workers to managerial and executive employees.

When it comes to assessing an employee's fitness for duty, gender should never come into the equation, but studies such as this one make it apparent that many employees still feel they are being discriminated against. Given the results of this study in Sweden, it's clear that an EAP can help in situations where workplace gender inequality is leading to friction tension and, in some cases, even discrimination.