Bring Your Menopause To Work Day is every day
Women make up 51% of the workforce in the UK and are now working later into their lives than ever before. This means that a greater proportion of women in employment will experience the menopause and its symptoms during their working lives.
Around 8 in 10 women will experience noticeable perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms and of these 45% will find their symptoms difficult to deal with.
Despite making some headlines this year, the menopause is still broadly considered a taboo subject and isn’t yet being discussed enough in workplaces, leading to a lack of menopause policies. A Wales TUC survey found that less than 1% of respondents said their workplace had a menopause policy, but almost 90% would welcome one. UNISON reports that women are leaving their jobs and missing out on opportunities because they cannot manage their menopause symptoms in the workplace. Certain sectors, particularly those in the realm of care, have a workforce that is mainly female, and currently don’t have policies that account for the menopause.
However, there has been some progress made as menopause policies start to be adopted by organisations such as Vodafone, and even London City Hall, though this is rare and exceptional. The broader creation – and acceptance – of menopause policies should be prioritised by workplaces. Why shouldn’t we expect that people can be comfortable at work? Implementing measures such as room temperature control, the possibility to take leave or work more flexible hours and inviting employees to have more open conversations are just some changes that organisations can put into effect to address these needs.
Workplaces have a social responsibility to create a stigma-free environment and promote a diverse workforce. Allowing employees to be overlooked due to the menopause leads to the potential of losing an experienced workforce and is a missed opportunity to address the gaps in workplace gender equality. Having a menopause policy allows women to work for longer, and progress further in their careers.
Here at Skating Panda, we have in place a menopause policy for all our staff. Today on World Menopause Day, we want to share this with you. If you are creating or need a robust menopause policy in your workplace, please get in touch and we will happily share our menopause policy with you or your HR team. Skating Panda is an inclusive workplace that drives performance through purpose and accelerates impactful action, not just for our clients, but for our employees. We support members of our team by building an environment that’s accommodating, by opening up conversations about the menopause, allowing for flexible working days, and educating our team members.
Lastly, here are some additional resources on menopause in the workplace that we’d love to share:
https://www.unison.org.uk/content/uploads/2019/10/25831.pdf
https://www.ted.com/speakers/andrea_berchowitz