The festive season can be a brilliant time to bring people together — but it can also be one of the most demanding points in the year. Busy workloads, family pressures, end-of-year deadlines, office parties and general December chaos mean many employees are already feeling stretched.
For women managing perimenopause, period health issues, fertility treatment or early pregnancy, this time of year can feel especially tough.
The good news is that a few small, thoughtful actions from HR and managers can make a big difference. Here’s how.
Why the Festive Season Can Feel Harder for Women
Hot rooms + alcohol + late nights = tougher menopause symptoms
Office parties, warm venues and social pressure to drink can make hot flushes, migraines and anxiety worse — especially if people are already tired.
December fatigue is real
Women juggling caring responsibilities, hormonal symptoms and festive demands often experience deeper fatigue at this time of year.
Fertility treatment doesn’t pause for Christmas
Medication schedules, procedures and emotional ups and downs continue, even when everyone else is celebrating.
Stress can flare period conditions
Conditions like endometriosis and PMDD can worsen with disrupted routines, stress and colder weather.
Early pregnancy can feel more difficult
Nausea, tiredness or worry may be quietly happening behind the scenes — especially for those not ready to share their news yet.
None of this is obvious from the outside, which is why sensitive, proactive support matters so much.
Practical Ways HR and Managers Can Help This December
1. Make festive events comfortable for everyone
Christmas parties don’t need to be loud, late or all about alcohol.
Small tweaks help a lot:
- Offer alcohol-free drinks as standard
- Provide cooler, quieter spaces
- Make it clear people can come and go as they wish
- Offer seating instead of standing-only events
A simple line such as “Join in however feels comfortable for you” sets the right tone.
2. Offer flexibility
With fatigue, symptoms or appointments, even small adjustments can help someone stay well and avoid unnecessary absence.
Options include:
- Slightly later starts or earlier finishes
- A day or two of home working
- Moving non-urgent meetings to January
- Allowing time for medical appointments without fuss
Flexibility is one of the easiest low-cost support tools HR has.
3. Support managers to check in kindly
Managers don’t need to be health experts — just human.
Useful prompts include:
- “How are things for you this week?”
- “Is there anything that would make the next few days easier?”
- “December can feel like a lot — let me know if you need anything.”
Light-touch, private check-ins help people feel safe without being pressured to disclose personal things.
4. Keep sickness and leave policies compassionate
December often brings:
- More flare-ups
- More stress
- More last-minute leave needs
A fair and compassionate approach helps prevent presenteeism (working while unwell), which typically costs more in the long run.
Encourage managers to:
- Look at individual circumstances
- Avoid making assumptions
- Work with HR early if someone needs adjustments
5. Make everyday adjustments easy
Encourage employees to:
- Take regular breaks
- Sit in cooler areas
- Use fans or comfortable clothing
- Move a meeting online if needed
These tiny actions often make the biggest difference.
6. Be mindful of fertility journeys
For employees going through IVF or fertility treatment:
- Offer privacy for medication timings
- Allow flexible clinic appointments
- Avoid assumptions around the holidays (“Any baby news?” etc.)
- Remind them of confidential support available
December can be a sensitive time. Thoughtful communication helps.
7. Don’t forget early pregnancy
People in early pregnancy may not want to disclose — and may be trying hard to “act normal” at social events.
Help by:
- Offering seating at events
- Labeling food and drink clearly
- Making temp-controlled spaces available
- Being flexible with start times
Support should be available to everyone — removing the burden of explanation.
Looking Ahead to January’s Wellbeing Month
December is also a great time to prepare for January — one of the highest-impact months for health and wellbeing engagement.
HR teams can use the quieter weeks to:
- Review what women’s health issues came up this year
- Refresh menopause or reproductive health resources
- Share manager guidance
- Plan communications for early January
- Explore digital support options to launch with the new year
- Ask for feedback on what more employers can do to support women’s health
A little early planning makes January feel far less overwhelming.
How Anya Can Help Your Teams Over the Holidays
The festive season can be wonderful — but also full-on.
Anya provides confidential, 24/7 women’s health support across menopause, fertility, pregnancy and early parenting, so employees can quietly get the help they need, exactly when they need it.
Through expert-backed content, self-care tools and symptom tracking, Anya helps reduce unplanned absence, protect wellbeing and support retention — not just at Christmas, but all year round.
If you’d like help supporting your workforce this December and beyond, we’re here. Get in touch for more info.