Menopause In The Workplace

Companies should be committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment for all staff.

CIPD guidance recognises that the menopause is an important gender and age-equality issue, and should be part of an organisations approach to developing inclusive workplaces that support women’s progression at work throughout their employment cycle.  If women experiencing the menopause are treated detrimentally because of menopause symptoms, it could potentially give rise to sex and age discrimination.

Therefore. as part of an overall wellness policy, companies should consider how they will support their staff who are experiencing symptoms associated with the menopause or the perimenopause, through the implementation of a Menopause Policy.

The aim of a menopause policy is to support staff experiencing the menopause and help them to minimise the impact it can have on them in the workplace.  

The policy should inform staff and managers about the potential symptoms of menopause, what the potential consequences can be and what support is available to them.

Companies should aim to create an environment where staff feel confident enough to raise issues about their symptoms and ask for adjustments at work.  

Line managers will play an important role in the implementation of this policy and they should make sure that they understand the Menopause Policy and supporting guidance.

They should help staff experiencing the menopause to feel supported, and to be effective in their role and ensure staff are aware of sources of help and support available to them,  from both internal and external sources.

Line managers should be trained on having open discussions with staff and to treat the conversation sensitively and professionally.  They should be aware of sources of support for staff and be understanding and make fair decisions, with respect to requests for reasonable adjustments.  It is important to bear in mind that a ‘one size fits all’ approach will be counter-productive as each person experiencing the menopause will have different symptoms and levels of severity, for varying lengths of time.

Line managers should ensure an ongoing dialogue and review arrangements regularly to check that any reasonable adjustments agreed remain appropriate and adequate and seek further advice from an Occupational Health & Wellbeing service if required.

Having a well thought out menopause policy within the work place will give employees the necessary tools to feel confident in approaching their line managers, taking away the fear and worry of speaking openly about their symptoms in a safe environment.