Talking about Menopause appears to be the newest hot topic in the workplace. The big
question is, as it’s not a new medical phenomenon it’s a life stage that’s always present,
why only now are we openly acknowledging its presence and effect on our employees and
our business? And why is it important for employers to recognise and sensitively manage its
effects on employees? And finally, how can an employer help?
Our advice as HR experts is not to follow a recent employer who fast became a recent social
media hero for all the wrong reasons. The employer distributed a gift bag to help female
staff to manage their symptoms at work with among other insensitive gifts included a jelly
baby sweet ‘in case you feel like biting someone’s head off!’, a Tea bag ‘because tea makes
everything better’ And a paperclip to help them ‘ keep it all together ‘at work!
Key Menopause facts for the employer
- The menopause is a natural stage of life which affects most women and other people who have a menstrual cycle age 45-55. As an employer you should be aware that any menopause support firstly includes all people that go through the menopause, women, trans and VSD (variations of sex development) or DSD (differences in sex development).
- A good employer should be aware of who might go through the menopause and menopause symptoms and to support them all equally.
- Lasting up to 4 years the menopause has 3 different stages, Perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause.
- Did you know that we are always talking about menopause, but ‘menopause’ only actually happens for ‘one single day!’ None of us ever know when that day occurred until we get past that day! Perimenopause is responsible for many of the symptoms of menopause that we might traditionally focus on and recognise. Menopause is simply the day a woman has not had a menstrual cycle for 12 months!
- All stages and types of the menopause are different, and symptoms can vary from person to person, and range from very mild to severe.
- Some people might also experience early menopause or go through medical menopause earlier in their lives. These types of menopause can be medically complicated, so employers should consider this when supporting their staff in any policy they subscribe too.
- You can find out more about the menopause and its symptoms on the NHS website.
What does that mean in the workplace?
Although the menopause will only be experienced by women and other people who have a menstrual cycle, men should also be included in conversations and training. This is because they might be supporting others going through it. Everyone needs to recognise it and respond appropriately.
Supporting and creating a positive and open environment between an employer and someone affected by the menopause can help prevent the person 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 problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression
- leaving their job
Employers should make sure they also 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.
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. The repercussions for employers of not planning, dealing appropriately and sensitively to menopause at work can be much further far reaching than you might first imagine.
It’s important for employers to 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.
Employers should consider how the person’s job role and responsibilities could make their menopause symptoms harder to deal with, for example if:
- they work long shifts
- they cannot take regular toilet breaks
- their job requires a uniform which may cause discomfort
- their job does not have much flexibility
There are several steps employers can take to make sure they have early conversations with staff and find solutions before problems arise.
A Menopause risk assessment
- the temperature and ventilation of the workplace
- the material and the fit of the organisation’s uniform, if there is one, and whether it might make staff going through the menopause feel too hot or cause discomfort
- whether there’s somewhere suitable for staff to rest if needed, for example a quiet room
- whether toilet facilities are easily accessible
- whether cold drinking water is available
- whether managers and supervisors have been trained on health and safety issues relating to the menopause
Having a menopause or well being champion at work
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.
It’s also important that employers raise awareness among staff that they will handle menopause in the workplace sensitively, and with dignity and respect.
Changes an employer could make to help support someone include:
- being flexible where possible over start and finish times to help them manage their symptoms
- allowing them to take breaks when needed
- providing a private area where they can rest to help manage their symptoms
- allowing them to work from home when practical
- allowing them time off if they cannot carry on working that day
- changing certain duties in their role
- where appropriate, letting the person have control over their working environment, for example having a desk next to a window that opens or providing them with a fan.
And finally …………………………………
Isn’t it amazing that we have only just started talking about this topic when there is so much, we can do to attract, retain, and motivate amazing, talented and experienced women in the workforce. It can be a time in life where many women now have more time to dedicate to their careers as children have increased independence. Employers should be open and supportive and in return will get some seriously committed and experienced employees to add value to your business.
If you need helping to deal with menopause in your workplace and are looking to apply a menopause policy and embed best practise into your workplace. Give Businessynegy a call and we are happy to help.