Menopause in the workplace has never been such a hot topic.
Research shows that one in 10 women who’ve worked during the menopause have left their job due to their symptoms. And many others have reduced their hours or decided not to apply for a promotion.
It’s also now firmly on the political agenda, with Labour outlining plans in its Manifesto for the introduction of menopause action plans.
But we don’t need to wait for these changes to the law – there’s plenty that organisations can do now to help support employees. As well as being the right thing to do, it also makes great business sense; many studies have shown that when staff feel happy and supported, they are more productive and loyal.
And with Menopause Awareness Month in October, it’s the perfect time to start making these changes.
How to build a menopause-friendly workplace
It’s important to realise that small changes can make a big difference. Here are my six top pieces of advice for putting in the right support.
Understand what your staff really need
This is the step that employers so often bypass, but it is key to ensuring that the initiatives you put in place have the maximum impact – and are what people really need.
Using employee data can help you to get a picture of what approach may be best. Consult staff through a survey or questionnaire to identify issues such as any gaps in knowledge, whether people feel confident that they would be supported, and how managers feel about having conversations.
Drill down further by holding focus groups to help with developing initiatives. Involving your people will mean they feel heard, and any initiatives will then focus on actual needs from both sides. This will result in increased buy-in from staff and noticeable results.
This process will help you to identify reasonable adjustments and/or the support needs of your staff. Whatever you can put in place will not only benefit your menopausal staff – it could also help everyone. And it allows you to be proactive rather than reactive, which your staff will respect.
Don’t ignore it
Create a psychologically-safe environment to encourage staff to have open conversations about menopause.
People shouldn’t feel that they can’t talk about this natural stage of life. Women should be able to start a conversation and speak to their line manager, HR advisor or their team members, and this includes women in very senior roles.
By doing this, you’ll allow people to be the best version of themselves. It will also help to relieve the stress from those feeling they have to hide their symptoms – hiding these just increases stress levels, and we know that increased stress makes symptoms worse.
Empower through education
Invest in comprehensive awareness training for all staff around menopause awareness.
Regardless of age or gender, we all need to understand so we can be better prepared and/or be able to support someone else in need.
Include separate training for managers so they can be confident to have the conversation and understand the simple adjustments which can make a huge difference.
Consider a hybrid approach to raising awareness, a mix of in-person, e-learning or even an app, to cater for different learning styles.
Never underestimate the power of ‘in person’ initiatives for allowing conversation and learning from others.
Create a Menopause Policy
This doesn’t need to be your first step, especially if your business has many hoops to jump through before a policy can go ‘live’.
Why wait to put in place the small, inexpensive initiatives which will make such a difference?
But a Menopause Policy makes a great addition to your other policies. As with any policy, it makes your commitment clear as well as what is expected of others.
However, it shouldn’t be just a tick box exercise; it’s not enough to simply have a policy – you need to keep it live. A Menopause Policy is another useful method to help with signposting to other resources.
Update your Safeguarding Policy
Women going through menopause can be very vulnerable and may also have other things going on in their lives, such as confidence issues or domestic violence.
Which other policies may be helpful – and where can you cross reference? For example, your Flexible Working Policy, or Absence Policy.
Gather your team of champions
I recommend considering different ‘champion’ roles within your organisation.
Having a champion at executive or senior leadership level is essential to keeping this on the agenda. And upskill your Mental Health First Aiders or Wellbeing Champions to understand menopause and how they can help others.
It’s important to also have Menopause Champions who staff can turn to, and who can act as ambassadors for championing all things menopause. Buddies are another great idea. There are many menopausal people who want to help others, often because of their own experience. Tap into that passion.
Fostering a positive mindset
Looking ahead, we need to switch our thinking around menopause. It’s a natural phase of life – not the end of it.
How many of your staff think that menopause is going to be miserable? It’s important to put the right support in place – but it will be so much more effective if it’s combined with a positive approach to menopause.
And this will ultimately benefit all your employees, making them feel happier and more supported.
