From delayed diagnoses and mental health struggles to lost income and caring pressures, Movember’s international research shows that men’s health is not simply a personal issue. This Movember, Fair Play Talks compares the evidence across the UK, Australia, Canada, Aotearoa New Zealand and Ireland – and explores why workplaces can play a critical role in prevention, early intervention and support.
Every November, moustaches appear on faces around the world as millions of people take part in Movember, the global movement putting men’s health in the spotlight. What began more than two decades ago when two friends challenged each other to grow moustaches has developed into the world’s largest men’s health community, supporting work across mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer and funding more than 1,320 men’s health projects worldwide.
This year, Movember is inviting people to make a “Growmitment” – a commitment to change men’s health by growing a moustache, getting active, hosting an event, fundraising or bringing others into the conversation. Its 2026 campaign message is simple: “Challenge a friend. Grow together. Change men’s health.”
Behind the playful campaign lies a significant global health challenge. Worldwide, men still live around five years less than women. World Health Organization data for 2023 puts average global life expectancy at approximately 71 years for men and 76 for women, while male mortality also remains substantially higher.
REAL FACE OF MEN’S HEALTH
Mental health presents another stark disparity. More than 720,000 people die by suicide globally every year, and the global male suicide mortality rate is more than twice the female rate. Movember’s Real Face of Men’s Health research provides an even clearer picture of what sits behind those global numbers. Developed with experts across six countries, the report series combines research and lived experience to examine why men continue to experience avoidable poor health and what health systems, governments, workplaces and communities can do differently.
Across the countries studied, Movember says the pattern is remarkably consistent: men experience preventable illness and premature death while the consequences extend to families, carers and communities. Crucially, it argues that men’s health requires leadership across government and other sectors rather than being treated solely as an individual responsibility.
For employers, that makes men’s health much more than a November wellbeing campaign. It is also about workforce participation, prevention, psychological safety, productivity, equality, retention and caring responsibilities.
UK: DELAYED HELP-SEEKING REMAINS A MAJOR CHALLENGE
In the UK, Movember research has found that almost two in five men – 39% – die before reaching 75, while boys continue to have a shorter life expectancy than girls. One finding is particularly relevant when considering preventable illness: 64% of UK men wait more than seven days after experiencing symptoms before seeing a doctor.
But Movember’s research challenges the simplistic assumption that men simply refuse to look after themselves. Expectations around masculinity and self-reliance can play a role, but men can also encounter difficulties navigating healthcare, poor previous experiences with services, limited health literacy and practical barriers to accessing treatment.
That distinction matters. Simply telling men to “speak up” or “get checked” is unlikely to solve the problem if accessing help remains difficult or if men fear how asking for support will be perceived.
Fair Play Talks has previously explored how workplace culture can reinforce those barriers. Leadership coach Anthony Francis highlighted the persistent expectation that men should appear invulnerable and self-sufficient. As he wrote: “We do get sick. We are vulnerable and we do need help.”
AUSTRALIA: WHERE MEN LIVE CAN SHAPE HOW LONG THEY LIVE
Australia demonstrates particularly clearly that men’s health is also a health-equity issue. Around 37% of Australian men die before reaching 75, with many premature deaths linked to potentially preventable causes. Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australian men aged 15 to 44.
Movember’s survey of 1,658 Australian men found:
- 60% waited more than seven days with symptoms before visiting a doctor;
- 53% considered avoiding regular health checks normal for men;
- 36% reported gender bias from a healthcare professional; and
- 31% found health information confusing or overwhelming.
But averages obscure major inequalities. Movember found that premature mortality in rural electorates was around 3.5 times that of inner metropolitan areas, while disadvantaged communities and areas with larger Indigenous populations experienced substantially poorer outcomes. Movember chose regional Australia for the launch of its 2026 campaign partly to draw attention to that divide. Its APAC Country Director Charlene Brennan said: “Suicide rates are twice as high in regional and remote areas of Australia.”
The implication for multinational employers is important. A wellbeing programme designed around professional office workers may not reach frontline employees, rural workers, contractors, shift workers or people with limited flexibility to attend healthcare appointments.
CANADA: TWO-THIRDS OF MEN DELAYED SEEKING MEDICAL HELP
Canadian findings reveal remarkably similar barriers. Almost 75,000 Canadian males died before 75 in 2023, representing 44% of all male deaths that year. Premature mortality among males was around 44% higher than among females. When the Movember Institute surveyed 1,502 Canadian men, 65% said they had waited more than six days after developing symptoms before seeing a doctor. More than one-quarter waited longer than a month, while 9% said they had waited more than two years.
The research also identified problems with men’s experiences of healthcare: 42% said a healthcare professional had displayed bias towards them as a man, while 26% reported stigma around engaging with health education. Movember consequently argues for healthcare systems that can reach, respond to and retain men in care, rather than assuming individual men alone must change their behaviour.
That same principle can apply at work. Providing benefits is not enough if employees cannot easily access them, do not trust their confidentiality or feel uncomfortable using them.
AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND: MEN’S HEALTH HAS A BILLION-DOLLAR WORKFORCE IMPACT
The findings from Aotearoa New Zealand demonstrate particularly clearly why employers should care about men’s health. More than two in five male deaths – 41.8% – occur before 75, while male premature mortality is around 1.5 times that of women. Poor health also carries a substantial economic cost.
Research cited by Movember estimated that health conditions among working-age men aged 25 to 64 resulted in approximately NZ$3.1 billion in lost income every year, with mental health responsible for 29% of that impact. Addressing five major preventable diseases affecting New Zealand men could also have saved around NZ$917 million in 2023 alone through avoided direct and indirect costs.
The New Zealand report also highlights significant inequalities affecting tāne Māori, including barriers to accessing healthcare and poorer outcomes for some conditions. The message for employers is difficult to dismiss: men’s health is not simply a benefits issue. It can influence absence, productivity, workforce participation, income and whether somebody remains in employment at all.
IRELAND: SOME MEN FEAR THE CAREER CONSEQUENCES OF SEEKING HELP
Ireland provides one of the clearest connections between men’s health and workplace culture. More than 7,450 Irish males died prematurely in 2022, accounting for around 40% of male deaths, while premature mortality among men was approximately 40% higher than among women. Men living in Ireland’s most deprived communities can expect to live around five years less than those in the most affluent areas and are almost 1.5 times more likely to die prematurely. Mental health presents another substantial concern.
Men account for approximately four in every five suicide deaths in Ireland. Perhaps most significant for employers, GPs consulted for the research identified stigma, expectations around self-reliance, inadequate support networks and fear of negative career consequences among the reasons men may hesitate to seek mental health support.
That raises an uncomfortable question: What happens when workplace support exists, but employees fear what using it could mean for their careers? An EAP, counselling programme or mental health benefit has limited value if employees believe acknowledging a problem could affect how managers view, trust or promote them.
MENTAL HEALTH: WHY ‘SPEAK UP’ IS NOT ENOUGH
Suicide prevention remains an important strand of the wider men’s-health conversation. Fair Play Talks recently reported that men continue to account for the majority of suicide deaths and explored why employers must go further than simply encouraging employees to disclose distress.
That feature highlighted Movember’s advice to watch for changes in someone’s usual behaviour and its ALEC approach: Ask, Listen, Encourage Action and Check In. It also highlighted a significant confidence gap at work. Research from Mental Health First Aid England found that although 74% of UK workers said they would ask a colleague if they feared they were experiencing suicidal thoughts, only 40% felt comfortable having that conversation. Sarah McIntosh, Chief Executive of MHFA England, summed up the problem: “It’s not a lack of compassion that holds people back, it’s a lack of comfort, confidence, clarity and sometimes permission.”
For employers, that means mental-health support needs both services and culture. Managers need enough confidence to recognise concerning changes and start a compassionate conversation. Employees need to trust that asking for help will not damage their careers. And organisations need clear routes from disclosure into appropriate professional support.
YOUNGER MEN MAY BE MORE WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE MENTAL HEALTH DIFFICULTIES
There are signs that attitudes may be changing among younger generations. Earlier this year, research showed that that one in five Gen Z men had taken mental health leave, putting them level with Gen Z women and suggesting younger male workers may in some cases feel more able to acknowledge difficulties.
However, there was another warning sign: Gen Z men who took mental health leave were less likely than women of the same generation to return to work afterwards. That means employers need to think beyond encouraging disclosure. What happens after somebody says they are struggling matters too.
MEN’S HEALTH GOES FAR BEYOND MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health is only one part of the workplace challenge. Movember focuses significantly on prostate and testicular cancer, while heart disease and other chronic conditions also contribute heavily to premature male mortality. Cancer itself is increasingly a workplace issue.
Research from WHO shows that global cancer cases are projected to approach 35 million annually by 2050, while more employees are continuing to work during and after cancer treatment.
Another investigation found cancer already costs UK employers an estimated £3.7 billion annually, with more than one million working-age people living with or beyond a cancer diagnosis. Those findings reinforce a broader point: workplace men’s-health strategies need to address physical health, prevention and screening as well as mental wellbeing.
THE OTHER WORKFORCE AFFECTED BY MEN’S HEALTH: CARERS
One of the most significant findings from Movember’s international research concerns people who are not themselves ill. When a man becomes seriously unwell, somebody often becomes an informal carer. That can affect their health, career and income.
In Australia, 35% of informal carers had left or changed their job, or reduced their working hours, to care for a man. In Aotearoa New Zealand, 62% of carers had taken time off work during the previous year to care for a man, while 31% had reduced their hours, changed jobs or left employment. And in Ireland, 60% of informal carers said caring for a man had contributed to a decline in their own mental health. Women represented 68% of those caring for men in the research.
That turns men’s health into a much broader workforce issue. Poor health can affect not only the employee who is ill but also partners, daughters, sons, parents, siblings and friends who quietly absorb caring responsibilities alongside their jobs. Fair Play Talks’ wider cancer coverage has identified a similar pattern – an estimated 1.1 million working adults in the UK are caring for somebody with cancer, demonstrating how ill health can reshape two working lives rather than one.
INVESTMENT IN MEN’S HEALTH
Improving men’s health can therefore also support carer wellbeing and women’s economic participation. That is why investment in men’s health should not be framed as competing with gender equality. But men are also carers themselves, and workplace expectations can make balancing those responsibilities with employment difficult. Research previously reported by Fair Play Talks found that half of working fathers in the UK felt nervous about requesting time off to care for their children, while six in 10 felt judged for prioritising family over work.
The study, conducted by Working Families in partnership with Wates Group, found that 74% of fathers wanted to embrace equal parenting, yet 78% said a lack of flexibility had strained their own health or that of their partner or child. Almost a third (32%) of fathers who had not taken their full parental leave feared doing so would damage their career progression.
These findings reinforce why men’s wellbeing cannot be separated from workplace culture, caregiving expectations and flexibility. Supporting men to fulfil caring responsibilities without fear of judgement or career penalties can improve their wellbeing while helping families share caring responsibilities more equally.
MEN DO NOT EXPERIENCE HEALTH IN THE SAME WAY
The international evidence also shows why employers should resist designing support for an imaginary “average man”. Income, ethnicity, Indigenous identity, disability, sexuality, occupation and geography can all affect health and access to care.
Australian men living in rural areas face substantially worse premature mortality than those in metropolitan communities. Tāne Māori experience important health inequalities in Aotearoa New Zealand. Deprivation remains strongly associated with shorter male life expectancy in Ireland. And the wider evidence shows how work itself can shape health through factors including job security, income, flexibility, management and working conditions.
Gay, bisexual and trans men can also experience additional mental health pressures linked to discrimination, social isolation, stigma and concerns about being accepted at work. These pressures may intersect with traditional expectations around masculinity, making it even harder for some men to seek support.
RECOGNISING DIVERSE EXPERIENCES
Research previously reported by Fair Play Talks found that 44.6% of LGBTQ+ professionals surveyed across 65 countries had experienced depression, while 31% reported experiencing generalised anxiety disorder. Three-quarters said their workplaces did not provide adequate mental health support or training. Although these findings cover LGBTQ+ professionals of different genders, they underline the importance of recognising diverse experiences within men’s health strategies.
More recently, Stonewall’s landmark 2026 report, covered by Fair Play Talks, revealed that 54% of LGBTQ+ respondents had considered suicide at some point in their lives, rising to 71% among trans+ respondents. The findings also exposed continuing barriers to healthcare, workplace discrimination and fears about being open about sexual orientation or gender identity. These statistics concern LGBTQ+ respondents overall, rather than men specifically, but highlight additional pressures that employers need to recognise. Fair Play Talks
For employers, this means men’s mental health programmes must be inclusive of gay, bisexual and trans men, providing confidential, culturally sensitive support while addressing workplace discrimination and ensuring that employees feel psychologically safe seeking help.
Fair Play Talks also recently reported calls for employers to rethink their wider duty of care, as evidence linked job design, excessive workloads, weak management, limited autonomy and harmful workplace cultures to poorer workforce health. The implication is clear. A corporate wellbeing campaign may work well for someone with flexible hours, private healthcare and control over their working day while completely missing a lower-paid employee working shifts who cannot easily attend a GP appointment. Equality of provision does not automatically produce equality of access.
WORK CAN BE PART OF THE PROBLEM – OR PART OF THE SOLUTION
Work occupies a substantial part of adult life. That gives employers an unusual opportunity. Workplace cultures can reinforce unhealthy behaviours through presenteeism, long hours, stigma, inflexible shifts and expectations that people simply carry on.
But workplaces can also make healthier behaviour easier. Previous research found employers increasingly investing in male-specific health benefits. In 2022, 35% of employers said they had invested in benefits specifically supporting men’s health or people assigned male at birth, with further employers planning to follow.
Helen Lake, then Director of Men’s Health at Peppy, argued that earlier workplace intervention could benefit both the individual and the organisation. She said: “Dealing with men’s healthcare matters early via workplace support… leads to better health outcomes.”
The key is moving from reactive support to prevention and early intervention.
TAKING MEN’S HEALTH INTO THE COMMUNITY
Employers cannot solve these inequalities alone. Movember’s international research repeatedly makes the case for reaching men in places they already use and trust. That can include sports clubs, community organisations, schools, workplaces and peer networks rather than relying exclusively on conventional healthcare settings.
Movember’s work in Aotearoa New Zealand, for example, has used rugby communities to improve mental-health literacy and help young people and those around them recognise problems and seek support earlier.
The principle is important. Better men’s health is not simply about creating more services. It is about making those services accessible, relevant and trusted.
CHANGING EXPECTATIONS AROUND MASCULINITY
Prevention also requires tackling expectations much earlier. Fair Play Talks has previously highlighted the importance of engaging boys and young men in conversations about gender and emotional expression earlier, rather than teaching them that fear, sadness or vulnerability must be suppressed.
Positive male role models can help too. Creating healthier expectations around masculinity does not mean rejecting resilience, independence or responsibility. It means widening the definition of strength so that attending a health check, asking for help, talking about difficulties or helping somebody else get support are viewed as responsible behaviours rather than signs of weakness.
IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING: WHERE MEN CAN TURN FOR SUPPORT
Movember’s research makes clear that many men delay seeking help because they do not know where to begin, worry about judgement or believe they should be able to cope alone. But asking for help does not have to wait until something becomes a crisis.
If something does not feel right – physically or mentally – speaking to a GP or healthcare professional can be an important first step. That includes persistent changes in mood, sleep or energy; unexplained pain or other physical symptoms; anxiety or low mood; or simply feeling unlike yourself for a prolonged period.
Support can also begin with somebody you trust – a friend, relative, colleague or community contact. Sometimes telling one person makes taking the next step easier. Movember provides resources covering mental fitness, suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer, as well as guidance to help people start difficult conversations.
SUPPORT MATTERS
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans provides confidential emotional support, while Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) provides information and support for people who are struggling. At work, employees may also have access to an EAP, occupational health, a Mental Health First Aider, counselling or private healthcare.
Employers should make these routes visible and explain clearly how confidentiality works. And asking for support does not require a formal disclosure. It can begin with: “I haven’t been feeling like myself lately.” “I’m struggling more than usual.” Or simply: “Can we talk?”
If you are worried about another man – a colleague, friend, partner or relative – you do not need to diagnose what is wrong. Checking in, listening without judgement and helping somebody connect with appropriate professional support can make a difference.
Fair Play Talks’ recent suicide-prevention coverage includes further practical advice from Movember, Samaritans and workplace mental-health experts on recognising changes, starting conversations and helping somebody access professional support. Anyone who believes they are in immediate danger or unable to keep themselves safe should seek urgent assistance through emergency services or an appropriate crisis service in their country.
The responsibility should not, however, fall entirely on individual men. Workplaces, healthcare systems and communities also need to make support easier to reach, relevant to people’s lives and safe to use.
WHAT EMPLOYERS SHOULD DO NEXT
- Make preventative healthcare easier. Give employees genuine flexibility to attend GP appointments, screening and follow-up care, including frontline and shift workers who may have less control over their hours.
- Challenge presenteeism. Examine whether long hours, attendance expectations or workplace culture inadvertently reward people for ignoring health problems.
- Train managers to have appropriate conversations. Managers do not need to become doctors or therapists, but they should recognise significant behavioural changes, listen sensitively and know where to signpost support.
- Make confidentiality explicit. Employees should understand how EAPs, occupational health and other services protect privacy and know that asking for support will not automatically harm their career.
- Cover physical as well as mental health. Men’s-health strategies should include cancer awareness, cardiovascular health, screening, sleep, physical activity and other preventable risks.
- Design for different groups of men. Age, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, disability, socioeconomic circumstances, geography and occupation can all influence health outcomes and access to support. Ensure wellbeing programmes recognise these differences, including the mental health needs of LGBTQ+ men and those experiencing overlapping forms of disadvantage.
- Support carers and working fathers explicitly. Offer flexible working, parental and carers’ leave, and temporary workload adjustments for employees caring for children, partners, parents or other relatives. Challenge assumptions that men should prioritise work over caring responsibilities.
- Take support to employees. Partnerships with health providers, community organisations, sports groups and trusted networks can reach men who may never attend a traditional wellbeing session.
- Measure whether support is actually being used. Providing a benefit is not the same as making it accessible. Employers should examine awareness, utilisation and barriers while protecting employees’ privacy.
WHY MEN’S HEALTH IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS
Perhaps the strongest conclusion from Movember’s international research is that poor men’s health does not stop with the individual. It ripples outward. A preventable illness can affect someone’s ability to work. A mental-health crisis can affect colleagues, managers, friends and family. A cancer diagnosis can lead a partner to reduce their working hours. Long-term illness can turn somebody else into an unpaid carer. And premature death can remove a partner, father, son, colleague, friend, mentor or community member far too early.
Conversely, healthier men can remain active in their careers, families and communities for longer. That is why men’s health should not be framed as competing with women’s health or other equality priorities. Movember’s international evidence instead makes the case for gender-responsive healthcare and support that recognises different needs while improving outcomes for families and communities as a whole.
FROM MOVEMBER TO YEAR-ROUND WORKPLACE ACTION
Movember has proved extraordinarily effective at getting people talking. Its 2026 Growmitment campaign is again asking people to involve friends, colleagues and communities in changing men’s health. But the evidence accumulated through its international research suggests that conversation now needs to translate into year-round action.
Across the UK, Australia, Canada, Aotearoa New Zealand and Ireland, the statistics differ but the themes are remarkably similar. Men experience preventable poor health. Many delay seeking help. Economic disadvantage, geography and identity influence outcomes. Poor health affects carers as well as patients. And workplaces can either make accessing support harder – or help men reach it earlier.
The solution therefore cannot rest solely on persuading individual men to behave differently. Healthcare systems need to reach and retain men more effectively. Communities need trusted routes into support. And employers need to remove the practical and cultural barriers that stop people looking after their health. Because men’s health may begin with men. But healthier men benefit workplaces, families and communities everywhere.
Explore Movember’s health support and resources here.
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