Menopause in the Workplace
Half the population will at some time experience menopause, and up to a third of women will experience severe menopausal symptoms that can impact on their quality of life. This feeling is not limited to female employees – individuals from non-binary and transgender communities may also experience menopausal symptoms yet may not have made their employer aware of their gender identity. It is in the work context that women often report greater difficulty in managing symptoms and can feel embarrassed and unable to disclose their menopausal status, fearing they may be stigmatised for being menopausal.
The most commonly reported difficulties that menopausal employees report at work include poor concentration, tiredness, poor memory, feeling low/depressed and lowered confidence. Problematic hot flushes at work have also been linked to women having a higher intention to leave the workforce. Indeed, Wellbeing of Women, a UK charity, found that up to one in four women consider leaving their job because of menopause. This is not surprising given that some of the most common symptoms, such as hot flushes, anxiety attacks and brain fogs could easily impact working ability.
We encourage employers to offer awareness and support to this population of employees and in this article we discuss and recommend resources to help both employers and employees.
The case for proactively supporting those affected by menopause
One reason savvy employers should prioritise discussions on the menopause, as well as other health issues impacting women at work, is that employees and candidates are increasingly demanding more and actively seeking out job opportunities that offer better support through diversity and inclusion benefits and initiatives.
The research is clear that not only does this assist companies to attract and retain top talent, but there is a direct link between employee wellness and productivity. Moreover, a company that demonstrates it cares about its employees also minimises the risk of employee claims.
The statistics regarding menopausal employees leaving the workforce, indicate the possibility that the pool of senior women eligible for leadership roles may be shrinking as a result of inadequate support for menopausal employees.
This isn’t just poor for team morale and employee retention; it can also hamper an employer’s ability to close any gender pay gaps if there are fewer women available to take on higher-paid senior roles. Unfortunately, this sits against a backdrop of increasing gender pay gaps as a result of working mothers leaving the workforce during the pandemic.
Supporting and creating a positive and open environment between an employer and someone affected by the menopause can help prevent the person not only from leaving employment but also from:
- losing confidence in their skills and abilities
- feeling like they need to take time off work and hide the reasons for it
- having increased mental health conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression
What are Governments Doing?
The government in the UK recognises the broader impact menopause has on economic participation. It’s consulting on ways to improve the protection and support for menopausal employees, including:
- Whether existing legal protection for employees with menopause should be extended. Currently, in the UK employees can bring a discrimination claim on the grounds of age, sex or disability. However, labelling menopause as a ‘disability’ is controversial given it is experienced by more than half of the population at some point in their lifetime.
- The best and most inclusive workplace practices (including how to support employees who experience the menopause though they do not identify as women).
I hope these UK developments may pave the way for international governments considering similar employee protections. In the meantime it is imperative that employers embrace their role in supporting employees experiencing menopause.
How can employers support employees experiencing menopause?
- Ask employees, or any existing D&I networks, what support they need.
- Introduce a menopause support policy with guidance on available support (for example; from health insurers, internal support groups) and which flags points of contact (such as HR) with whom any concerns may be raised.
- Train HR teams and management on how to support impacted employees. Charities and menopause societies are increasingly offering helpful guidance in this area.
- Add a hub of resources for menopausal employees to access, and those who might be affected by a close contact going through the menopause.
- have early conversations with staff and find solutions before problems arise and then support staff through every stage of the menopause. Having early and regular follow-up conversations with staff to understand their needs can help make sure support and procedures are in place so they can continue to do their job effectively.
- By law, employers are responsible for the health and safety of all staff, including those working from home. Employers must conduct a risk assessment of their staff’s work and workplace, including any work from home. Things such as temperature, lighting, amount of time standing etc all may have an impact on symptom manageability.
- Having a menopause or wellbeing champion at work could help people affected by the menopause. The champion could be a point of contact if staff need advice, or someone to initially talk to if they are not comfortable talking to their managers.
Further sources of support
- ACAS: Menopause at work. https://www.acas.org.uk/menopause-at-work
- Employers and small businesses can use the Acas Helpline Facebook Messenger Service to get free, independent and impartial advice on workplace issues such as employment law, employer duty of care and HR policies and procedures. Speak to an Acas adviser at https://www.facebook.com/acasorguk.
- A range of detailed factsheets on menopausal symptoms and treatment options can be printed directly from the Women’s Health Concern website or downloaded in PDF format:
- https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/
- NHS Employers (2020), Guidance on menopause at work. https://www.nhsemployers.org/publications/guidance-menopause-work
- An award winning, independent website providing up-to-date, accurate information about the menopause, menopausal symptoms and treatment options: https://www.menopausematters.co.uk/
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