This World Menopause Day, as part of our on-going focus on Reproductive Health in the Workplace we want to raise awareness about menopause in the workplace.
We know that sharing personal stories is impactful, so Brabners’ colleagues Vicci Cowell and Nick Campbell (her line manager) want to play their part by sharing their insight.
Vicci and Nick work in the Employment and Pensions Team at Brabners and are members of our Reproductive Health team. Both are passionate about raising awareness about menopause in the workplace.
Vicci says, “Up until around May 2021 I had never given the menopause a second thought. Whilst I know I don’t have an illness this has been a massive change in my life and one that I have found difficult to deal with. I lacked knowledge about the subject, because it is not widely talked about.”
“After trying a few different types of HRT, I now feel that I’m on the right one. This has helped with hot flushes. However, I still don’t have my full energy levels. This means I’m often tired, which I find frustrating.”
“I have been open and honest about what I am experiencing with our People and Development Team and my colleagues, including Nick as my line manager. By keeping the conversations going, I have been working towards finding a way of working to suit both me and the business. I have changed my working hours so that I don’t work on Wednesday. This means I only ever have to get up for work for two days and then I have a day’s break. This has had a positive impact on my mental health and wellbeing and the symptoms of the menopause.”
I talk freely in my team about my situation and don’t have any embarrassment about this, which I hope helps to raise awareness and encourage others to have conversations about the menopause”.
Nick says, “Nearly 14 million working days are lost each year due to menopause and over 370,000 women in the UK aged 50 to 64 admit they have left, or considered leaving, as dealing with menopause symptoms at work is too difficult. This is a huge loss of talent and experience from our workplaces.”
“We need to tackle stigma and taboo about the menopause to allow employees going through the menopause to continue to have a fulfilling career. As part of this, we need to raise awareness and encourage people to talk about menopause in the workplace without fear and embarrassment.”
Practical steps that employers could take
Employers must understand that there is no one size fits all approach for how the menopause will affect people and that the impact could vary at different stages of the menopause transition. However, here are some potential practical actions that employers could consider taking:
- Recognise that transitioning through the menopause can have an impact on employees.
- Raise awareness of the impact that menopause can have. This, in turn, should help to encourage discussion among staff and create an open culture.
- Introduce compulsory training for HR and line managers on how to recognise the issues that may arise and how to support employees.
- Introduce a menopause policy or guidance which would demonstrate your commitment to dealing with issues that may arise and provide guidance on how to support employees.
- Make it easier for staff going through hot flushes to be able to deal with their effects, e.g. by having fans, air conditioning or the ability to sit by opening windows; giving them easy access to cold drinking water and allowing them to wear uniforms that are made out of breathable fabrics.
- Allow employees to take breaks during the working day, in particular, during meetings.
- Consider flexible working arrangements (including location and hours of work) on a case-by-case basis to alleviate the impact of the menopause.
- Create support networks within your organisation for employees transitioning through the menopause and those who are supporting somebody going through the menopause.
Additional resources
For more information on menopause in the workplace and what employers can do to support their people why not take a listen to our podcasts on The Challenge of Menopause in the Workplace (part one) and Breaking the taboo of Menopause in the Workplace (part two) ?
Should your organisation require support and advice in relation to menopause in the workplace or any other aspect of reproductive health in the workplace, please contact a member of our Employment Team, who will be able to assist.
By Susan McKenzie, Vicci Cowell and Nick Campbell
