The work and home commitments of women often take a toll on their health and well-being, and that's a problem for their employers.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women are about 60 percent more likely than men to miss work due to illness or injury. Women represent the overwhelming majority of caregivers (defined as relatives or friends of a disabled individual, who help that individual with his or her activities of daily living).

According to the Center for American Progress and the American Psychological Association, caregivers are almost twice as likely to report chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis.

These and other health challenges often mean women are more likely to take prescription medications than men, making women by far the largest consumers of health care, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The good news is that employers can offer programs and services that help women workers improve their health and quality of life, and even boost their productivity. Ultimately, these programs can often help employers lower their health care costs.

Some of the more popular programs for women employees include:

• Provide online resources for female employees.

• Offer discount programs for uncovered health care costs.

• Focus employee wellness programs on women's health needs.

• Provide at-work preventive health screenings such as body mass index, bone density, cholesterol level, heart rate, blood pressure and diabetes screening.

• Support local and national non-profits dedicated to women's health issues.

For most of these initiatives, a good place to start is with the employer's health insurer. Many health care companies offer health and wellness programs, and can use data to help the employer identify what specific illnesses and conditions are contributing the most to the business' health care costs.