Research on the economic and social disparities between men and women has accumulated from various perspectives over time. However, there has been a relative dearth of research focusing on "biological sex differences." These differences encompass the physiological distinctions in physical attributes between men and women. Women experience a myriad of life events throughout their working years, including pregnancy, childbirth, and child rearing. Additionally, they contend with daily fluctuations in physical and mental well-being due to hormonal changes, which exhibit more variability than in men over short-, medium-, and long-term durations.

In light of these biological disparities between genders, the question arises: How can we create a society where everyone can fully engage in work while acknowledging and understanding these differences? It is with this question in mind that this study was initiated.

The study aims to address several questions: How many symptoms do working individuals experience daily? To what extent do these symptoms impact their productivity? And how do these fluctuations in physical and mental symptoms differ between men and women? To investigate these inquiries, an application was developed on the LINE platform. Approximately 500 male and female participants were asked to report their daily physical condition and productivity over an 8-week period, yielding a dataset of daily panel data.

The analysis uncovered several key findings. Firstly, compared to men, fewer women reported days without any physical or mental symptoms. Women, on average, experience physical and mental discomfort more frequently due to hormonal fluctuations. However, significant variations in symptom frequency were observed among both men and women. While a minority of men reported frequent physical or mental complaints, women exhibited symptoms ranging from mild to severe. A strong association was identified between these symptoms and subjective productivity, indicating that productivity declines in the presence of physical and mental symptoms.

Interestingly, when comparing individuals with similar symptoms, women demonstrated a smaller decrease in productivity compared to men. This suggests that despite experiencing symptoms, women may adopt strategies to maintain productivity levels. Nevertheless, given the higher frequency of symptoms among women on average, it underscores the importance of creating work environments that mitigate productivity declines during symptomatic periods. This may entail accommodating flexible work arrangements, ncluding telecommuting, to accommodate varying physical conditions.