Menopause at work
Yesterday – 6th March 2023 – the Government announced their appointment of the first Menopause Employment Champion, Helen Tomlinson. Her focus will be on encouraging employers to develop menopause policies to create more supportive environments to help women experiencing menopause to stay and progress in work.
Helen said, ‘I have witnessed the transformational power that opening up conversations on the menopause can have in a workplace. By creating safe spaces by educating management and creating allies across workforces, women can be supported and empowered to manage their symptoms and thrive in work.’
Less than a quarter of UK businesses currently have a menopause policy, but as I take on this role, I am determined that my generation of women in work will break the menopause taboo and have confidence that their health is valued.’
See the press release here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-appoints-first-menopause-employment-champion-to-improve-workplace-support
You can’t ignore the facts
- A 2019 survey conducted by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) found that three in five menopausal women—usually aged between 45 and 55—were negatively affected at work.
- BUPA found that almost 900,000 women in the UK had left their jobs because of menopausal symptoms.
- The House of Commons inquiry, ‘Menopause and the Workplace’, (published July 2022), reports that:
- one in four women report have considered leaving their job due to experiencing the menopause, though asserted that women feeling compelled to give up work at the peak of their careers is neither inevitable nor normal.
- 51% of the population will experience menopause.
- Those with serious menopausal symptoms take an average of 32 weeks of leave from work,
- The average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51, and this matters especially as women over 50 represent the fastest growing segment of the workforce, with a third of the working age population now over 50.
- 1 in 100 women experiencing menopause impact before the age of 40 with peri-menopause symptoms often during their 40s and some experiencing it mid-30s.
- Recent Ipsos research shows that 47 per cent of working women aged 40 to 65 have experienced three or more menopause symptoms while they are working, while 38 per cent reported experiencing both hot flushes and feeling tired. A lack of energy and headaches affected one in four women.
- In a 2013 study of 896 women by Maturitas, the majority reported they were unwilling to disclose menopause-related health problems to line managers, most of whom were men or younger than them.
Why menopause should matter to employers
The fundamental issue here is that women of menopausal age are the fastest growing group in the workforce and are staying in work for longer than ever before. These women are usually very experienced and skilled role models, yet in reality often receive little support with menopause symptoms. As a result, some cut back their hours or responsibilities. Others leave work altogether.
For too long, too many people experiencing menopause have struggled with societal stigma, inadequate diagnosis and treatment, workplace detriment and discrimination. This is not normal, nor should we see it as inevitable.
Employers should make sure they have policies and and support in place to help staff affected by the menopause.
Having regular conversations with staff and listening to their concerns might help resolve issues early on before any potential legal action is taken.
Employers should make sure they know how the menopause relates to the law, including the:
- Equality Act 2010, which protects workers against discrimination
- Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which says an employer must, where reasonably practical, ensure everyone’s health, safety and welfare at work
There is poor employer awareness of both health and safety and equality law relating to menopause. The menopause is not a specific protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. But if an employee or worker is put at a disadvantage and treated less favourably because of their menopause symptoms, this could be discrimination if related to a protected characteristic, for example:
- age
- disability
- gender reassignment
- sex
What’s changing…
As a result of the recommendations in the Menopause at work report, there have been some positive steps forward, such as the appointment of the first menopause employment champion, Helen Tomlinson, whose focus is on ensuring that employers develop menopause policies and practice to create more supportive environments to help women experiencing menopause to stay and progress in their employment.
As a result of the recommendations made in the The House of Commons inquiry, ‘Menopause and the Workplace’, (published July 2022), the government announced on 21st February that from 1st April 2023, women who usually pay for their HRT prescriptions – the main treatment for menopause symptoms – will be able to purchase an annual HRT PPC for the cost of two single prescription charges (currently £18.70). The HRT PPC is valid for 12 months and can be used against any listed HRT prescription item licensed for the treatment of menopause (see list below). The list of eligible HRT medicines will also be published in the April 2023 Drug Tariff.
Once systems are ready, the HRT PPC will be available to purchase through the NHS Business Services Authority website or in person at a pharmacy registered to sell PPCs.
Women in possession of a HRT PPC will continue to pay for other prescribed medicines that are not on the HRT medicines list.
See the full press release here:
Raising Awareness of Menopause
Menopause has been ignored and hidden away for too long. There is nothing shameful about women’s health, or about getting older. Supporting those experiencing menopause makes sense for individuals, for employers, the economy and for society.
Whilst implementing formal policies aimed at menopause support, the real challenge is tackling the unconscious bias and societal stigmas that prevail. There is still considerable stigma around menopause, particularly for certain groups such as young women, those from different ethnic minority backgrounds and for LGBT+ people. Women’s pain and suffering in relation to menopause symptoms has been normalised. They are told they should simply ‘live with it’.
In an effort to support women to stay or return to the workforce, Labour has pledged to bring in a requirement for large companies to publish and implement a “menopause action plan” that sets out how they are supporting their employees experiencing menopausal symptoms.
The party plans to release government guidance, advising employers on the best ways to help their employees. Working women could also be offered alterations to their uniform to help manage menopausal symptoms.
Angela Rayner, the party’s deputy leader, said the policy was a “simple and effective way” to “improve productivity, keep more people in work and ultimately grow our economy for all”. Anneliese Dodds, the shadow women and equalities secretary, hailed the move as a “vital step forward” as the Conservatives “have vacated the field on supporting women”.
Employers will be required to submit their action plans to an existing government portal used for gender pay gap reporting.
Starmer’s plans go a step further than those presented under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership in 2019. Three years ago, Labour offered women flexible working hours and a requirement for employers to treat the menopause like a long-term fluctuating health condition.
Other changes suggested at the time included training managers about how the menopause can affect women, and what assistance they might need, as well as workplace facilities such as access to ventilation facilities and cold water.
Rayner, who also holds the post of shadow future of work secretary, said: “Everyone should be supported to thrive at work. But all too often women going through the menopause are being let down. I know from working with many incredible women how hard it is to get on at work every day while battling severe symptoms including depression, joint pain and extreme fatigue. It happens in every workplace, but too often women suffer in silence.
Menopause matters. It is a life-changing and transformative event that can affect all aspects of a woman’s life, including work. Yet more often than not it occurs in secret, with women too embarrassed or scared to talk to their employer about what is happening.
Improving awareness and knowledge will help create an open and inclusive culture – which is beneficial not just to women, but the whole organisation.
Educating employees on Menopause
If we are to successfully retain this group of talented and experienced women in the workforce, training managers on what exactly the menopause is and how best to support colleagues is key. It is no longer acceptable or business savvy to ignore it. Actively addressing menopause in the workplace is not only the right thing to do, it also makes complete business sense.
The culture of an organisation can be a huge barrier for menopausal women in accessing the support they need. Barriers often mentioned include male-dominated workplaces, male line managers, fear of negative responses, stigma, discrimination, embarrassment or believing menopause is inappropriate to discuss at work. A culture where a woman feels embarrassed about her symptoms or fears a negative response from managers is not conducive to psychological safety, wellbeing, performance or productivity. After all, a culture where people don’t feel able to bring their full selves to work and keep things concealed and bottled up is not a good one.
Providing training to managers on menopause and opening up a space for these ‘uncomfortable’ but necessary conversations can have a massive impact on culture. It can improve openness, communication, trust and overall relations with colleagues. This is not just beneficial for women, but for the entire organisation. Women have described how they feel managers should know staff well enough to recognise if someone is having difficulties and initiate a conversation if necessary.
Studies have shown that those who have experienced menopausal symptoms are significantly more likely to turn to female colleagues than male – an Ipsos MORI poll found 45 per cent had spoken to a female co-worker, while only 1 per cent had turned to a male colleague – leading to the conclusion that women will speak to someone who either has experienced similar issues or who has knowledge on the subject.
If we genuinely want women to speak about their issues, we need managers to understand what they are talking about. Menopause is extremely complex and we are not expecting managers to be experts in the subject, but having a base level of knowledge is extremely beneficial.
To make an impact, menopause training should be geared towards changing levels of knowledge about menopause, attitudes toward menopause, confidence in talking about menopause, and challenge beliefs and barriers about talking about it at work. Effective menopause training should include information on what the menopause is, who it affects and what managers can do to support colleagues going through it. It should also help managers have positive menopause conversations, build policies for the workplace and outline the legal duty of care as an employer.
Training can be delivered online or in person and should signpost to any further information elsewhere that may be helpful.
However, organisations should not assume that having a one-off training as a tick-box exercise will create a lasting impact. Without appropriate follow-up and ongoing conversations and a culture shift, it simply will not. But if you actively invest in your staff and support their individual needs, you will reap the rewards and be part of a positive shift in ending the stigma surrounding menopause and other female health issues.
The future of the workplace is an open and honest one where employees are free to speak and where that uninhibited dialogue is ultimately met with understanding and, most importantly, support.
Adalta provide half-day Menopause Awareness training for managers and staff for help forward-thinking businesses and organisations. These interactive sessions can be delivered remotely or via face-to-face. Click here for details:
https://adaltadevelopment.co.uk/course/menopause-awareness-training-for-staff/
https://adaltadevelopment.co.uk/course/menopause-awareness-for-managers/