The Menopause – Time to Act?

Last month was ‘Menopause Month’, a reminder to employers to take time to consider the impact that the menopause has on women in the workplace and how they might choose to offer their support.

If as an employer you are wondering whether you really do need to dedicate time to consider the menopause as a distinct workplace issue, you may be interested to know that women of menopause age (between 40 and 60) are a significant part of the workforce.

Further, in a survey carried out by the CIPD earlier this year, two-thirds of women reported experiencing the most common psychological menopause symptoms of mood disturbances, anxiety, depression, memory loss, panic attacks, loss of confidence and reduced concentration. Many of these also suffered from physical symptoms, such as hot flushes, muscle and joint problems and poor sleep.  It is not difficult to see how any of these symptoms will almost certainly affect a woman’s overall performance at work and their ability to progress.

However, the same survey also found that over 80% of women felt unsupported by their employer, their manager and their colleagues. This is both surprising and disappointing given that in a limited number of steps a positive impact can be achieved for both the  employees affected and the business.

So, what to do?  A good place to start is to ensure that managers have a clearer understanding of the menopause; what it is and how it impacts on women in the workplace. This can be achieved through some simply training which also encourages open dialogue using inclusive and supportive language and discourages inappropriate comments and office banter.  The aim is to remove the stigma that may be associated with the menopause so that employees feel encouraged to take advantage of the support that is made available to them when it is needed.

Other steps that you might consider taking include:

• employees making fans available
• improving ventilation
• providing access to drinking water
• having easy access to toilets and washing facilities
• ensuring that any uniforms are made of breathable materials
• offering access to technology that may assist to help overcome temporary memory loss/brain fog
• offering flexible working opportunities
• signpost the sources of information and help available
• manage sickness absences fairly and flexibly

Finally, whether you wish to incorporate the information and support you choose to offer your employees in a separate menopause policy or instead perhaps dedicate a section in your sickness policy to the menopause is a matter of choice for you as an employer. We are happy to help you with this and any related training.

Please get in touch if you have any questions regarding the issues discussed in this article.

E: help@jma-hrlegal.co.uk / T: +44 (0)1252 821792