menopause at work

Menopause shouldn’t be a taboo, and everyone should feel they can have a conversation with their line manager, especially when they need guidance and advice. But how confident do you think a member of your team would feel to talk to you about the menopause?

Research has shown that almost a million women have left their job because of menopausal symptoms shows that around one in six people (17%) have considered leaving work due to a lack of support in relation to their menopause symptoms.

Often a few simple changes to the working environment can make a world of difference – even just talking about the menopause openly can reduce the impact of some symptoms and enable people to continue performing well in their roles. Line managers play a vital role in supporting colleagues with menopausal symptoms and this guide will help you to:  

• be confident about your role in managing and supporting colleagues with menopausal symptoms  

• understand and reduce the barriers that could potentially prevent a colleague going through the menopause transition from performing and/or developing to their full potential  

• identify appropriate workplace changes or adjustments to support team members and help them thrive at work foster an inclusive working environment in which everyone is treated fairly. 

Whatever the size and sector of your business, most women in your team will experience menopausal symptoms at some stage. It’s a natural stage of life experienced by around half of the workforce at some point, and yet it’s a taboo subject in many workplaces. This means many employees with menopause symptoms, which can be severe, suffer in silence. But the menopause needn’t be an awkward or embarrassing topic, and it certainly shouldn’t mean that anyone needs to press pause on their working life. Often a few simple changes to someone’s working environment can make a world of difference – enabling someone experiencing menopausal symptoms to continue performing and contributing to their full potential. Even just being able to talk openly can reduce the impact of someone’s symptoms. 

Areas where managers can provide support:  

1. improve your understanding of what the menopause is and how it can affect people  

2. know your role as a manager, for example, in understanding organisational policies and support  

3. have open and honest conversations to be able to offer appropriate support  

4. contribute to risk assessments and making adjustments  

5. know how to support performance where this is impacted by health issues.