Menopause in the Workplace

Raising awareness, normalising conversations, and supporting individuals in the workplace as they are go through menopause.

Menopause is a word that some people feel uncomfortable talking about in the workplace, but it’s a topic that requires more conversations and support for women.

Traditionally, menopause has been seen as a private matter; a woman’s issue, and not openly discussed.

A recent survey revealed that 1 in 10 women have quit their job due to menopause. In addition to this, more than 44% of those surveyed said their career had been affected by menopause, with some passing up promotions, reducing working hours, and sacrificing their careers due to the challenges of menopause.

It is essential that employers offer more support to those that are experiencing symptoms that make it difficult to live life in the same way they did pre-menopause. The 18th of October is World Menopause Day, and it is the ideal time to help raise more awareness and normalise talking about and supporting those individuals in the workplace as they are going through menopause.

The Menopause in the workplace fact file: What employers need to know

Legislative inquiry

In 2021, UK Parliament launched an inquiry to explore how understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of menopause translated into women’s experiences at work. They received over 80 written submissions from the public, through to experts in law, academics, medicine, unions, and others. Over 2000 responses from a publicly ran survey as well as oral submissions identified that menopause is as much a health issue, as it is a workplace issue and an equality issue.

How menopause affects women in the workplace

Menopause can be a difficult and stressful time for women, which can shift over into their working life. Up to a third of women will experience severe menopausal symptoms that can impact their quality of life. The disruption of hormone levels can impact health, well-being, and performance at work, some of which are:

• Loss of confidence in competencies and capabilities
• Poor concentration and memory
• Embarrassment when having to take time off work
• Anxiety and depression
• Increased risk of quitting their job, without future prospects

Statistics show that women between the ages of 50 – 64 now represent a significant proportion of the workforce, which means that approximately 4.4 million working women are perimenopausal, menopausal, or post-menopausal. Employers should be looking to put into place strong policies to support this demographic of the workplace. In 2019, a survey conducted by the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) uncovered that almost 900,000 women in the UK were absent from their jobs over an undefined period due to menopause symptoms. This could be interpreted to mean that women could be leaving businesses at the peak of their experience. Typically, these women may also be in senior management roles, and in turn can lessen diversity at executive levels, also negatively contributing to the gender pay-gap.

Workplaces need to adapt to ensure women feel comfortable talking about menopause symptoms and how they impact their work life so that relevant support can be provided to this major demographic of the workforce.

Having open conversations about all aspects of health is important and it is the same for menopause. Many workplaces are now providing better support by establishing a menopause policy and providing employee assistance programs that offer support. Research shows that many line managers do not feel comfortable talking about menopause, which is a major barrier to providing support to women going through menopause.
With improved support, fewer women will feel compelled to quit their jobs or reduce their hours, allowing them to continue contributing to business success with vital experience, knowledge, and skills.

How Bellrock is supporting staff with menopause symptoms

Bellrock recognises that for some, menopause is not always an easy transition and that additional considerations to support and improve our employee’s experiences at work need to be addressed. That is why, we are committed to assisting those affected in any way by menopause, and to provide information to line managers so that they can better give fair treatment and appropriate assistance.