Supporting Employees Through the Menopause
Menopause can be a significant concern for employers, and it is crucial to manage it with sensitivity. Employers should be aware that the menopause and its symptoms can affect staff at any time. Awareness of this can allow staff to continue working confidently and effectively.
It is also essential to recognise that the menopause can impact anyone supporting someone going through it, such as a relative, partner, colleague, or caretaker. Men should also be included in conversations and training, as they may be supporting others going through it.
Creating a positive and open environment between employers and those affected by the menopause can be helpful. This can prevent individuals from losing confidence in their abilities, feeling the need to take time off work and hide the reasons for it, experiencing increased mental health problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression, and leaving their job.
Supporting Staff
Menopause can be a difficult and challenging time for many people. As an employer, it’s important to offer support to your staff throughout every stage of this transition. Regular follow-up conversations with your employees can help you to understand their needs and ensure that the right support and procedures are in place to help them work effectively.
When considering how to best support your employees during the menopause, you should take their specific job role and responsibilities into account. For instance, if they work long shifts, cannot take regular toilet breaks, wear a uniform that may cause discomfort, or have a job with little flexibility, their menopause symptoms may be even harder to manage.
Here are some steps you can take to ensure that you have early conversations with your staff and find solutions before problems arise:
Provide Training for Managers
When managers are trained to talk and listen sensitively, find ways to offer support, understand the effects of the menopause, and know what guidance and support the organisation can offer, it can give employees the confidence to discuss the effects of the menopause on their work. As such, it’s essential to train all managers, supervisors, and team leaders to ensure that they understand:
- How the law relates to the menopause
- How to speak with and encourage employees to raise any menopause concerns
- How different stages and types of menopause can affect staff
- What support and workplace changes are available to staff
- How to deal with menopause issues sensitively and fairly
- Why it is important to consider gender identity when dealing with the menopause
By taking the time to support your employees through the menopause, you can create a more inclusive and supportive workplace for everyone.
Develop a menopause policy
Supporting your staff, it’s good practice to have a policy specifically for the menopause. This should be reviewed on a regular basis to keep up to date and shared across the whole organisation, and be the basis for any training the organisation gives to managers.
A menopause policy can help colleagues understand:
- What the menopause is and how it can affect people
- How it affects everyone differently
- What support is available to staff affected by it?
It is recommended that organisations with a diverse workforce provide training to managers, supervisors and team leaders explaining who the organisation’s point of contact is for queries related to the menopause.
Even if there is a policy, employers should make some allowances when supporting staff through the menopause because everyone’s experience will be different.
If you are unsure if your organisation has a Menopause Policy you should contact your HR department in the first instance. If you would like help to develop a Menopause Policy to support your workforce, please get in contact.
The Importance of Menopause and Wellbeing Champions in the Workplace
Having a menopause or wellbeing champion at work can provide crucial support for individuals experiencing menopause. These champions can serve as a point of contact for staff seeking advice or an initial conversation if they are uncomfortable speaking with their managers.
With the champion’s assistance, employers, HR and managers can:
- Conduct workshops within the organisation to raise awareness among staff
- Inform all employees that the employer will make an effort to support those struggling with symptoms, for example through newsletters or posters
- Ensure that health and safety risk assessments address the various stages of menopause
- Establish a support network for staff members impacted by menopause
- Provide staff with resources to learn more about the subject
It’s also important for employers to communicate to staff that they will handle menopause in the workplace with sensitivity, dignity, and respect.
Menopause and the Law
Employers should make sure they have steps, procedures and support in place to help staff affected by the menopause.
Having regular conversations with staff and listening to their concerns might help resolve issues early on before any potential legal action is taken.
Employers should make sure they know how the menopause relates to the law, including the:
Equality Act 2010, which protects workers against discrimination
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which says an employer must, where reasonably practical, ensure everyone’s health, safety and welfare at work
The menopause is not a specific protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. But if an employee or worker is put at a disadvantage and treated less favourably because of their menopause symptoms, this could be discrimination.
Employers should also be aware that unwanted behaviour about someone’s menopause symptoms could count as harassment or sexual harassment depending on the nature of the behaviour.
This is a high level look at the Menopause at Work, if your workplace doesn’t have a Policy in place and you would like support to put one in place please get in touch and I can support your workplace to support you. Drop me an email at [email protected] and lets get started.
