Employers must offer better support to menopausal employees

It is a proven fact that menopausal women often encounter challenges in the workplace, with two-thirds of women aged 40 to 60 experiencing menopausal symptoms that can significantly disrupt their professional lives.

These symptoms, including hot flushes, brain fog, and difficulty sleeping, can significantly impact daily activities.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) released guidance on menopause in the workplace earlier this year, emphasising the need for employers to recognise menopause symptoms as a disability.

This places the responsibility on employers to make “reasonable adjustments” to support menopausal employees or potentially face legal consequences. According to the EHRC:

"If menopause symptoms have a long term and substantial impact on a woman’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, they may be considered a disability. Under the Equality Act 2010, an employer will be under a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments and to not discriminate against the worker."

The recommended adjustments include providing rest areas, offering flexible working hours, and relaxing uniform policies to accommodate cooler clothing choices.

Failure to make reasonable adjustments constitutes disability discrimination, carrying legal repercussions, as well as the costs associated with defending claims and potential talent loss.

Women leaving their jobs due to menopause-related symptoms is a concerning trend.

Alarmingly, EHRC’s research reveals that one in 10 women surveyed have left their roles due to menopause-related symptoms.

Yet, despite the negative impact experienced by two-thirds of women with symptoms, many refrain from seeking reasonable adjustments, often due to fears of repercussions or lack of understanding from employers.

EHRIC’s guidance cautions against disciplinary action targeting women for menopause-related absences as it could amount to discrimination. Additionally, any form of ridicule or harassment relating to menopausal symptoms may constitute harassment.

EHRC Chairwomen, Baroness Kishwer Falkner, emphasises that it is imperative for employers to fully grasp their legal obligations to protect their staff under this law.

By fostering a culture of understanding and support, businesses can benefit from creating inclusive workplaces that support the needs of all employees across their different life stages.

Menopause support should be tailored to individual needs

Kathleen Stock from The Sunday Times, made an interesting point that, whilst a complicated issue, people may have misread what the EHRC were actually saying.

She goes on to say, "As far as I can see, the commission is not arguing that perimenopausal and menopause in general should count as disabilities, but rather that when particular symptoms became severe enough, they might count as such."

She states, "Friends of hers who went through severe ‘flooding’ extremely heavy periods, sometimes lasting weeks, causing pain, constant trips to the bathroom, and in some cases anaemia – I don’t see what else you could call it but disabling."

One of my close friends had similar problems, not only was it terribly painful, the anxiety she experienced about leaving the house was crippling as she had the fear of ‘leaking’ through her clothes.

As Stock says,"If, on the other hand, you have no problems or only minor ones, you wouldn’t be specially protected – and that’s surely how it should be."

This highlights the importance of offering support that’s tailored to the individual.

Menopause support is just another part of creating an inclusive culture

Every individual is unique and may require different forms of support at various stages of life, whether for neurodiversity accommodations, general health and well-being, pregnancy, or menopause.

As many workplaces now include multigenerational teams, employers must adapt to the life stage their employees are in and the support they may need.

A common challenge is the lack of awareness around menopause symptoms and how they impact those experiencing them.

Most women will go through menopause to some degree during their lives. By having more women in senior roles who have experienced or are going through perimenopause or menopause, we hope to foster greater empathy, understanding, and appropriate support.

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At Ambition, we have a menopause policy to support our staff who are experiencing menopausal symptoms.