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CASE STUDY

Why Workplace Women’s Health Programs Can Improve Performance
physiology_shapes

THE CHALLENGE

Women’s Physiology Shapes Performance

Nearly 80 million women make up the United States workforce. Yet, most workplace wellness programs barely acknowledge the reality of women's health.

Natural hormonal cycles affect energy, focus, sleep, and overall well-being. And it shows up at work whether employers account for it or not.

But in the Exos Female Physiology Questionnaire (EFPQ) study, only 4.6% of respondents said their employer offers benefits related to menstrual health.

Meanwhile, nearly 90% of survey respondents reported experiencing menstrual pain, and most are managing many symptoms throughout their cycle.

So here’s the real question: What becomes possible if organizations better understand how physiology shapes the experience of nearly half their workforce?
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THE STUDY

Illuminating Hormonal Health

Exos designed the study to help workforce leaders better understand how women experience hormonal health across different life stages — and what that means for well-being and performance at work.

The research drew from 805 survey responses, with 715 eligible participants: women ages 18 to 65 from across the U.S.

The findings bring much-needed clarity to a corner of workplace health that's long been overlooked. This paints a clearer picture of how hormonal health shapes daily life for working women.
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A Custom-Built, Scalable Model

Exos doesn’t do cookie-cutter employee engagement solutions. Each of our programs is personalized to our clients’ unique needs, and they go far beyond just the fitness center. 
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Standardized Wellness Programs

Through rapidly changing eras including COVID-19, Exos consistently rolled out group fitness, nutritional support, mental well-being, and virtual employee engagement solutions to meet the evolving needs of employees. During Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccination program, Exos teams supported operations by checking in employees and leading movement sessions in line.

Strategic Design & Build Services

Our world-class space design and development team designed and built six new facilities and renovated six existing ones across the U.S. This included redeploying $300,000 in exercise equipment assets, obtained through acquisitions, to generate significant cost savings and upgrade Pfizer’s portfolio of workplace amenities.

Service Request Platform

Exos implemented an online service request system to support streamlined coordination of Recharge Breaks and other wellness offerings. This platform has supported global program delivery across Pfizer's workforce.

Global Hybrid Expansion

Exos virtual coaching gave Pfizer employees across the globe access to wellness programming, regardless of location or remote status.

Centralized Management

Exos implemented a unified standard operating model across 14 locations to ensure a consistent member experience. This included revenue/expense management, programming, staffing, and data tracking.

Recharge Breaks Deployment

As of January 2025, Exos officially deployed the three standard Recharge Break formats (for energy, creativity, or calm) across Pfizer. These sessions are delivered by both on-site and virtual coaches. To date, the team has completed 198 sessions with a total attendance of 8,255.

Data-Driven Efficiencies

Our team implemented Net Promoter Score (NPS) tracking, utilization data, and outcome monitoring to continually measure impact and improve how we serve each member.
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KEY FINDINGS

Organizational Opportunities Are Everywhere

Hormonal symptoms are widespread. Three-quarters of EFPQ respondents who haven’t yet reached perimenopause reported experiencing 17 or more symptoms during their most recent period.

But a woman’s cycle isn’t just burdensome. There are moments when focus, energy, mood, and perceived efficiency are significantly elevated, pointing to opportunities to help female employees make the most of every part of their cycles:
94%

would participate in a cycle-based well-being educational program

94%

reported neutral or higher perceived work efficiency during the intermenstrual phase

87%

did not miss work due to their menstrual cycle, highlighting an opportunity to support well-being and performance for employees working with symptoms

88%

experienced four or more symptoms in the past month

KEY FINDINGS

Organizational Opportunities Are Everywhere

Hormonal symptoms are widespread. Three-quarters of EFPQ respondents who haven’t yet reached perimenopause reported experiencing 17 or more symptoms during their most recent period.

But a woman’s cycle isn’t just burdensome. There are moments when focus, energy, mood, and perceived efficiency are significantly elevated, pointing to opportunities to help female employees make the most of every part of their cycles.

94%

would participate in a cycle-based well-being educational program

94%

reported neutral or higher perceived work efficiency during the intermenstrual phase

88%

experienced four or more symptoms in the past month

87%

did not miss work due to their menstrual cycle, highlighting an opportunity to support well-being and performance for employees working with symptoms

THE WAY FORWARD

How Employers Can Respond

The EFPQ findings highlight several meaningful opportunities for organizations.

 
Hormonal health is a real part of employees’ lived experiences.
It has a huge impact on how people feel, focus, and function at work — which means it deserves a place in employers' corporate  wellness strategies.
Women's health is vastly unaddressed in workplaces.
For most working women, hormonal health is just part of life. But it's rarely reflected in workplace support. With only 4.6% of employers offering menstrual-related benefits, there's a real opportunity to close the gap between what employees need and what they're actually getting.
Employees want to learn more.

94% are interested in education and well-being programs around hormonal health. The appetite is there, it just needs a place to land.

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Fitness Center Management

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Centralized Operations

programming

Hybrid Programming

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Virtual Coaching

group-work

Group Exercise

nutrition

Nutrition & Wellness Integration

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Space Design & Renovation

training

Personal Training

massage

Massage Therapy

recreation

Recreation Management

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Nutrition Consults

meal-plan

Meal Planning

coaching

One-on-one Coaching

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Exos App

Results

Consistent quality, scaled delivery, and versatile impact.

63 NPS

vs. industry average of 26

14

centrally-operated fitness centers, expanded from 3 since 2000.

71,000+

global Pfizer employees served by Exos virtual coaching across 45 countries

8,200+

employees engaged through Recharge Breaks alone

11,000+

skin cancer screenings completed

26

melanoma cases detected

A New Approach to Workplace Wellness

This research emphasizes a simple but important truth: Supporting employee health means understanding the full human experience, including female physiology.

By bringing better research into the conversation, organizations can design practical, science-based wellness strategies that support women across different life stages while strengthening performance, resilience, and well-being.

Exos is already translating these insights into real-world practice. Here are the results from our 12-week perimenopause pilot program at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs:

  • 100% reported improved mood, energy, and coworker relationships
  • 100% reported feeling better equipped to manage perimenopausal symptoms
  • The program achieved a Net Promoter Score of 90

Explore Cycle-Informed Wellness With Exos

Ready to take action? Exos brings together performance science, health expertise, and coaching to help you build wellness programs that actually support your employees' lives.

Let's talk.