In the last few years, there have been great strides made to modernise the workplace and put lives at the centre of work benefits rather than make the benefits work around the job. Menopause policies have especially been brought to light as more and more women feel comfortable discussing the drawbacks of menopause and how it negatively impacts their work. Some business leaders have been forthcoming and are implementing new incentives which will transform work culture and improve the health and well-being of their employees. However, more needs to be done to create lasting menopause-inclusive workplace cultures. So, what is the importance of a menopause-inclusive culture in the workplace and how can business leaders take charge to improve the lives of their employees?
Challenges for women in the workplace
Menopausal women constitute the fastest-growing segment of the workforce, yet they often struggle with symptoms while receiving insufficient support and awareness from colleagues and managers. According to the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, eight out of 10 menopausal women are employed, with three-quarters experiencing symptoms of varying severity and one in four enduring serious ones. As one-third of women in the workforce will soon be over 50, it’s evident that more will undergo menopause and its transitional phases while working. These symptoms include both physical (e.g. insomnia, hot flushes) and psychological (e.g. mood swings, lack of confidence) aspects, collectively impacting work quality and performance. Companies failing to accommodate these needs risk losing experienced staff, facing increased turnover costs, and perpetuating biases against menopausal women. Fourteen million working days are lost each year in the UK due to menopausal symptoms and 10% of women leave the workforce due to menopausal symptoms.
Despite claims of openness, many women still hesitate to disclose their symptoms, fearing discrimination or invisibility in career advancement. Addressing these issues is crucial for fostering inclusive, supportive workplaces.
What can companies do?
Company leaders at each level must respond to each individual’s needs as not everyone experiences the same symptoms and everyone’s lifestyle differs. Establishing a cohesive approach is fine, but it must not neglect those who struggle with rarer symptoms and may lack support at home. Adapting the way in which performance is measured is one key way to help employees. Instead of setting the bar high, be pragmatic and set realistic goals which can be achieved in the appropriate time frame. In addition, giving regular, 360-degree feedback, recognising good work and rewarding it, and using unbiased productivity tracking tools would all greatly benefit employees and enhance company morale and quality of work.
Companies need to act and establish an approach that will be effective for women and will give them the possibility not to slow down but to continue being productive and retain their work performance with confidence.
Below are eight ways businesses can create a menopause-inclusive culture in the workplace:
- Develop a menopause policy at the workplace. This will inform the managers and employees of the company’s approach towards menopause related issues.
- Provide flexible and home working hours, allowing time off to attend medical appointments, and increase sickness absence policy.
- Offer support at the workplace, providing optimal working conditions to help with symptom relief (ventilation, accessibility to toilet facilities, provision of cold water, quiet workplace rest areas, access to natural light).
- Offer the right to review their job role responsibilities and description yearly with their managers.
- Elect menopause champions at the workplace, who can lead the change in organisational cultures by establishing shared values, beliefs and norms — thus putting an end to a culture of silence which makes women feel anxious, helpless, and alone.
- Provide mandatory training covering equality and diversity according to gender and age and especially covering menopause transition.
- Form informal support groups for women experiencing menopause transition in the workplace.
- Provide menopause awareness training for all women approaching the age of 45 years and offer options for symptom relief.
Next steps
For female employees to feel respected, engaged, and rewarded, company leaders must take into account the above interventions and make workplace well-being a priority to achieve a menopause-inclusive culture. The menopausal transition needs to be understood in the same context as other female hormonal changes such as pregnancy and maternity. There is a necessity to change workplace culture, policies, and training in a way that doesn’t enforce silence, embarrassment, and fear for women with menopause symptoms that they are less capable than the previous years or that they can lose their jobs any time. There is a necessity to implement small interventions that will allow in future to establish their efficacy or to establish a requirement for a bigger spectrum of interventions.
By Dr Shashi Prasad, Marion Gluck Clinic
