Menopause in the Workplace

Despite having such an impact on a large proportion of our population, menopause continues to be a taboo topic in the workplace. We have taken a look at some key findings from a recent report from the CIPD to gain an understanding on women’s experiences and highlight the difference the right support can make.

Key findings

The CIPD surveyed over 2000 women aged 40 – 60 working in the UK, 73% of them reported having experienced physical or psychological symptoms linked to the menopause transition.

Two thirds of these women said these symptoms have had a negative effect on them at work and over half had at least one occurrence where it had stopped them attending work.

One in six have considered leaving their employment due to feeling a lack of support and more than 10% reported feeling discriminated against due to the symptoms they were experiencing.

What can be done?

Flexible working was reported as being one of the most desired changes an employer could make to further support female employees in this transitional phase, with 67% citing this as a way to make things easier. Unfortunately, only 26% said their current employer offered this.

Another practical solution was the ability to control the temperature in the workspace, again only 25% said this was available to them.

The women surveyed who did report feeling supported in the workplace, mainly put this down to having open communication and understanding throughout the workplace including with colleagues and management. Written and visible policies aid this culture shift, as does raising awareness through training and support sessions. 43% of respondents stated that their workplace did not have a written policy on support available during the menopause, and a further third, didn’t know.

Summary

To allow female employees who are experiencing symptoms of the menopause transition to feel supported, it is vital to create a culture where this is not taboo, but an openly discussed topic through visible policies and sessions for training and awareness.

Policies should look at reasonable adjustments such as flexible or hybrid working where applicable and ensure that employees feel comfortable with approaching management to discuss their needs.

Image by Freepik.

Full report findings from 'Menopause in the Workplace: Employee Experiences in 2023' CIPD.