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The fastest growing sector of the UK workforce is made up of women in the 50-64 bracket, most of whom will go through the menopause transition during their working lives. Without the right support of their employers many will find it difficult to cope and may struggle to meet their full potential. As employers we have a duty to protect the needs and interests of all employees and in doing so will reap the rewards in loyalty and engagement.

The Menopause

The menopause is a natural part of aging that usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 as a woman’s oestrogen levels decline. Some women go through the menopause with little impact on their daily lives but other may experience symptoms that can last for years and have a negative impact on their performance and attendance at work. Crucially, it is important to recognise that menopause in not just a female issue, it is an organisational issue. All managers need to know about it and understand how they can best support their staff.

What are the symptoms?

There are a huge array of symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Examples may include:

difficulty sleeping and night sweats
feeling tired and lacking energy
mood swings
feeling anxious and panic attacks
hot flushes
struggling to remember things, concentrate and focus
taking longer to recover from illness
irregular periods which can become heavier
aches and pains including muscle and joint stiffness
urinary problems
headaches including migraines
putting on weight
noticeable heartbeats
skin irritation
dry eyes

Unsurprisingly the effects of the menopause can lead to women feeling unwell, lacking in confidence to do their jobs well and experiencing mental health conditions such as stress, depression and anxiety. For some it becomes impossible to continue at work and they may leave as a result.

Steps to take

To tackle this issue and protect this valuable sector of the workforce during a period of vulnerability, employers must:

Help to break the stigma – demystify menopause and aim to educate those that have a lack of understanding
Develop a policy and communicate it to all staff and managers
Train managers to recognise the challenges and symptoms and equip them with the skills to manage delicate conversations with sensitivity
Give employees someone to talk to – consider appointing a wellbeing or menopause champion in the workplace
Monitor absence and performance trends and consider sensitively the possible causes
Be prepared to discuss and agree changes and adjustments at work
Treat employees with dignity by maintain confidentiality and discretion

Points to be aware of

Although the menopause is not specifically protected under the Equality Act, if any employee is treated unfairly because of the menopause (or perimenopause) this may amount to discrimination on the grounds of:

Sex – Unwanted comments, jokes, banter or ridicule about a woman’s menopause or perimenopause symptoms could amount to harassment, or sexual harassment depending on the nature of the unwanted behaviour.
Disability– the symptoms of menopause could potentially amount to a disability so reasonable adjustments must be put in place to support the individual if required.
Discrimination arising from a disability – the law protects individuals against discrimination arising from a disability. As an example provided by Acas, this could include a worker being dismissed because they forgot to do a task set by their employer due to becoming forgetful and confused as a result of anxiety caused by their menopause. Their anxiety would have to meet the Equality Act definition of disability.
Age – Unfair treatment on the grounds of age is unlawful and likely to apply to those experiencing the menopause.