With increasing awareness of menopause, its impact on the workplace is also becoming more appreciated. In the UK, for example, where the number of those aged 45 and over makes up a significant proportion of the working population, many working women can potentially go through menopause in the workplace. For employers, this is both a challenge and an opportunity, to make the workplace more supportive and inclusive. In this article, we’ll look at how to create a menopause-friendly workplace, whether you are based in UK or the Isle of Man.
Understanding Menopause in the Workplace
A natural biological process, for most women the average age of menopause is 51, but it can occur as early as the mid-30s and as late as the mid-60s. It signals the end of childbearing years and is accompanied by hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating and feeling sluggish mentally. These symptoms can impact women’s work and lives.
Around 13 million women in the UK are either in peri-menopause or post-menopausal, and with midlife women making up a significant proportion of the workforce, this puts a significant number of women in positions of seniority and payscales. It follows then that how women navigate the menopause can therefore have material effects on both their productivity and engagement with their workplace – and the way their employers support them. It is therefore essential that employers recognise and deal with the issues created by the menopause by making changes within their organisation that will improve the wellbeing and productivity of their staff.
Step 1: Raising Awareness and Education
Awareness and educating management and staff is the first step in designing a menopause-friendly workplace. Menopause is a misunderstood state of being, full of myths and misconceptions that can lead to stigma and discomfort. By educating, organisations can create an environment of understanding and support.
Menopause awareness training can be provided as part of the training programme. This should cover what is happening to the employees, the likely symptoms, and how the symptoms can impact an employee’s performance and wellbeing at work. Managers should be trained to spot when an employee appears to be having difficulties, how to discuss this with the employee in a sensitive way, and when to refer them on for further support.
Workshops or information sessions on a regular basis can help to make menopause less scary and encourage open discussions. They can form part of a wider wellbeing programme and have talks from health professionals from the NHS or local health services on the Isle of Man, for example.
Step 2: Implementing Menopause Policies
To help ensure that support offered to menopausal employees is consistent, clear and effective, it should be formalised within an organisational policy. A menopause policy should make clear the commitment that the organisation has to supporting employees through this life stage, and the steps that can be taken to do so.
Flexible working arrangements
Working patterns can be unpredictable while dealing with symptoms such as fatigue and hot flushes. Being able to vary hours or work from home can make a big difference. Flexible working requests are covered by UK law, and this can be included as part of your menopause policy. The UK’s Flexible Working Regulations require employers to consider all such requests (and state the limited circumstances in which they can refuse).
Provide leave
Have menopause leave on a par with sick leave or leave due to other medical conditions; for example, allow people to take short-term leave when they are having particularly bad periods, or to take longer breaks throughout the day.
Confidentiality and Support
Ensure that all menopause-related conversations are handled confidentially, and ensure that employees are aware of the support available to them, such as one-to-one meetings with an HR representative or access to counselling services, dependent on your organisation’s policy.
Step 3: Creating a Supportive Physical Environment
Physical environment at work can also have a huge impact on how menopausal symptoms are experienced, and some simple modifications to the physical environment can have a huge difference.
Temperature control
Hot flushes and night sweats are among the most common and disruptive symptoms of menopause, so employers can help by ensuring there are good temperature control options at work. For example, that means making fans available, allowing staff to control the thermostat, or creating cooler breakout areas where people can take time out.
Rest and Relaxation Areas
Designate quiet spaces where an employee can rest if feeling unwell or overwhelmed. These spaces can be a calming, comfortable place where an employee can take a brief rest before resuming work.
Ergonomic Changes
Joint pain or headaches associated with menopause can be eased with ergonomic changes to the work environment, such as adjustable chairs, standing desks and good lighting.
Step 4: Health and Wellness Support
Investing in the wellbeing of menopausal staff has implications that go far beyond the workplace itself. Access to health resources is a core component of a menopause-friendly workplace.
Access to Healthcare Professionals
Make sure that your health plan provides access to menopause specialists – in the UK this might include referrals to NHS services, or in places like the Isle of Man, access to local specialists who can provide tailored advice and treatment.
Mental Health Support
Sometimes, women can really suffer with their mental health at the menopause, experiencing anxiety or depression or mood swings. In workplaces, it is important to have access to mental health support, such as counselling services, or be able to take mental health days. We have a range of mental health services on the Isle of Man which can be incorporated into workplace wellness programmes.
Promoting a healthy lifestyle
Encourage employees to live a healthy lifestyle by offering wellness programmes that promote nutrition, exercise and stress reduction. Programmes that include corporate yoga, meditation sessions or even lunchtime walkers can be rewarding.
Step 5: Encouraging Peer Support and Networking
One easy way to promote a supportive environment is to provide opportunities for employees to help each other.
For internal support, consider encouraging employees to start an internal menopause support group where they can share coping mechanisms and experiences, and feel heard and supported.
Share mentors with those menopausal employees to help them through this stage of life in a supportive and empathetic way.
Step 6: Monitoring and Evaluation
And lastly, check in on your menopause-friendly policies and practices regularly to ensure that they are still working.
Regular Surveys and Feedback: Undertake anonymous surveys to obtain feedback and observe how the menopause policies and support systems are working. This feedback should be used to make ongoing improvements.
Periodically review your policies: To ensure your organisation remains a supportive place to work throughout the menopause, make sure you keep your menopause policy under review and update it when necessary to reflect best practice and changes in the law.
Final Thoughts
Establishing a menopause-friendly workplace is about creating a culture where individuals at every stage of life can thrive. Employers and employees on the Isle of Man can access local resources to support menopause in the workplace through the government's health services, including access to specialists and wellness programs.
Organisations across the UK, including the Isle of Man, can make sure that they are leading the way in creating not just menopause-friendly workplaces, but in workplace inclusivity and support by proactively addressing this issue and taking advantage of the available tools and resources.