Why Companies Need to Take Menopause Seriously
10 Apr 2024
Here’s some statistics which you might not know.
- In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51 and almost 8 out of 10 women of menopausal age are in work.
- Almost a third of working women in the core ‘menopause age’ – aged between 50 and 64 – are forced to take time out of the working week to alleviate menopausal symptoms.
- Across the year this mounts up to over 24 hours – the equivalent of 14 million working days across the entire UK workforce.
With figures like that, you’d think every business in the company would be taking the impact of the menopause on its workforce seriously – and doing something to help all those affected.
Sadly, this is far from the case.
Latest figures suggest that just 25 per cent of UK firms have a menopause policy in place, despite an increase in awareness of the issue.
So, how can firms ramp up support for the menopause?
Here are five things companies can do today to put things right.
1. Put policies in place: These policies should outline the support available to employees, provide guidance to managers on how to handle menopause-related issues, and ensure that employees feel comfortable discussing the menopause without fear of stigma or discrimination.
2. Have a Wellbeing Strategy Group: A wellbeing strategy group can play a crucial role in promoting a healthy and inclusive workplace. This group can be responsible for developing strategies to support employees going through the menopause, including providing resources, training, and support services.
3. Listen to real life experiences of women and let them shape policy from the ground: Policies and strategies should be informed by the experiences of employees. By listening to the real-life experiences of women going through the menopause, companies can ensure that their policies and strategies are relevant, effective, and responsive to the needs of their employees. And what’s more, they will benefit from listening to their staff and the improvement in morale which will surely follow.
4. Call out inappropriate comments and behaviour: It’s essential for companies to foster a respectful and inclusive workplace culture. This includes calling out and addressing inappropriate comments and behaviour related to the menopause. Companies should have clear procedures in place for reporting and addressing such behaviour and treat it with the utmost seriousness.
5. Take the issue seriously: Above all, companies need to take the menopause seriously. This means recognising the menopause as a significant workplace issue, providing the necessary support to employees, and ensuring that employees feel comfortable discussing the menopause at work.
And remember, this is not just an approach that’s nice to have – there is also a legal requirement here.
Under the Equality Act 2010, menopause is largely covered under three protected characteristics: age, sex, and disability discrimination. If menopause symptoms have a long term and substantial impact on a woman’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, these symptoms could be considered a disability, in which case an employer will be under a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments.
Meanwhile, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 provides for safe working, which extends to the working conditions when experiencing menopausal symptoms. Employers have a general legal duty to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of workplace risks to ensure the health and safety of their employees.
And it’s important to note that while the menopause is not a specific protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, 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.
The menopause is a natural part of life that affects a significant portion of the workforce, but for too long it’s been seen as something taboo or not to be talked about. By taking the menopause seriously and implementing supportive policies and strategies, companies can ensure a healthier, more inclusive, and more productive workplace.
If you need help drawing up policies such as this or implementing new ideas to improve wellbeing at your workplace, just get in touch. We’ll be happy to help.
