According to a recent study by the Menopause Experts Group, the number of employment tribunals which reference the menopause has increased by 44% in the last year.
More worryingly, a report on Menopause and the Workplace* found one in 10 women have left their job because of the symptoms of the menopause. This is equivalent to 333,000 women across the UK. Furthermore 14% reduced their hours and 8% of women surveyed had not applied for a promotion due to their symptoms.
Businesses are finding it more difficult to retain staff and to find good candidates for vacancies in the current climate so to lose talented employees simply because they are not getting the support they need during this normal and expected life transition period is tragic. The good news is, with the right knowledge and approach, it is very much avoidable.
Why is this happening?
Many women do not feel they can raise this with their employers. Almost half of the women who did raise it said nothing was done to support them.
Two in five of women polled said they had seen menopause and their symptoms treated as a joke at work. Three in five said they had lost motivation at work due to their symptoms and 52% had lost their confidence. For those women who had taken time off work due to the menopause, two in five citied anxiety or depression as the reason as they did not want to admit it was due to the menopause.
Brain fog, lack of sleep, hot flushes and low self-worth are just a few of the symptoms which are often at the essence of workplace banter; and whilst many will go along with this to save face, many report this has more of a negative impact on them than they actually disclose.
So what?
Currently the menopause is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, however much is being done to change this. Meanwhile, women have pursued and won age, sex and/or disability discrimination claims.
Often women enter the menopause at their height of their career, often in senior roles where they play an integral role within the business, yet they are suffering very difficult and often severe symptoms which they regularly feel they cannot share.
To feel they have no option to but to give up their jobs is devasting for women and is a great loss to employers as they are losing valuable knowledge and experience.
What can you do to fix it?
Normalising conversations about the menopause is key, as well as increasing awareness of this topic amongst women as well as their male colleagues, partners, family and friends.
We recommend the following for employers:
- Training for managers and employees on how to communicate appropriately and understand the consequences of seemingly ‘harmless’ banter. Training should be designed to raise awareness and increase understanding of the impact of getting it wrong.
- Creating a menopause policy and conducting risk assessments to encourage a supportive culture.
- Offering menopause support to assist women and retain their talent and experience. Each person may need support in different ways, but flexible working, air conditioning/fans and an informative menopause policy are just a few straightforward options which can be made available.
If you would like advice on supporting your employees and making your workplace menopause friendly, help drafting a menopause policy or would like to offer awareness sessions to your employees, please contact us on hello@emphasis.uk.com
* Report by the Fawcett Society and Channel 4 which polled 4,000 women aged between 45-55
By Nicki Jones
