If you would like a free menopause policy for your  staff handbook please email me at ilock@qandalaw.co.uk

Why do you need to know about the menopause at work?

The menopause has often been regarded as a taboo topic at work and its symptoms seen as a bit of a mystery. For many managers and employees, they may have felt uncomfortable or embarrassed to discuss it, or they may not have appreciated the impact it can have on working lives.

Studies show that 80% of people who experience menopause-related symptoms are in work and many women are likely to work into their late 60s and 70s.

According to research commissioned by Channel 4 in 2022, 44% of women surveyed said that their ability to work had been affected by the menopause, and one woman in 10 has left work due to menopause symptoms.

The good news is that your organisation can cultivate a culture where employees are supported and feel comfortable talking about the menopause, enabling employees to work at their best and preventing the loss of key talent.

Whom does the menopause affect?

The average age to reach the menopause is 51. However, the menopause is not an age-specific transition and should not be stereotyped as an “older women’s” issue. The menopause can occur at any age after puberty, and 1% of women reach menopause aged under 40.

How menopausal experiences vary

Menopause can affect people very differently and no two people will experience menopause in the same way.

How long do menopausal symptoms last?

It is impossible to state definitively when menopausal symptoms will begin or how long they are likely to last since everyone is unique.

On average symptoms are likely to last between six and 10 years, starting approximately four to six years before the menopause (“the perimenopause”) and continuing for between two and four years post-menopause. However, many people are symptomatic for far longer and symptoms may change over time.

Symptoms of the menopause

There are more than 35 menopause-related symptoms that can be categorised as physical, psychological/emotional and cognitive.

Not everyone will experience symptoms. Approximately 25% of people will not have any noticeable symptoms and will therefore not be adversely affected by their menopause transition.

Approximately 50% of people will experience mild to moderate symptoms, with a further 25% likely to suffer quite debilitating and often life-changing symptoms.

The symptoms people report as having the greatest impact on their performance at work are hot flushes, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog and memory disturbances/word recall issues.

Therefore, the most troublesome symptoms tend to be mental rather than physical and, as a result, will not always be “visible”.

It is unlikely that you will need to have a conversation about some of the more personal symptoms with a team member; however, being aware of the breadth of symptoms will help you understand what an individual may privately be experiencing.

Make menopause a mainstream topic of conversation

You may find the idea of starting a conversation about the menopause daunting, but as a manager it is inevitable that you will have to hold conversations that you may find uncomfortable.

To make it easier to speak to a team member about the menopause, create and cultivate a culture of openness in your organisation by encouraging people to talk about the menopause more generally. It will be easier to do this if your staff already have an open culture.

You may feel uncomfortable starting the conversation, but you will soon find that any embarrassment subsides, and people will open up. By raising the conversation at a broad level, you will be modelling that it is okay and safe for people to discuss the menopause in your team.

If your organisation has a menopause policy, familiarise yourself with it as it may help to inform your conversations with your team – and make sure your team members know about it too as it will reinforce that your organisation values and supports conversations around the menopause.

Act on inappropriate behaviour

While some people will be perfectly comfortable with humour and may use self-deprecating humour to deal with their menopausal symptoms, others may feel that humour is inappropriate. Any jokes, remarks or “banter” relating to a person’s menopause symptoms, age or gender are not acceptable.

Belittling comments are usually obvious; they will be made in a derogatory tone with the intent to cause upset. Address this immediately with the person making the comments and via the disciplinary process, if appropriate.

Not tolerating inappropriate behaviour will help people to feel safe talking about the menopause. You can do this by:

• being clear that negative or belittling comments are not acceptable; and
• acting swiftly in response to any inappropriate “banter”.

If you would like to implement a Menopause Policy and would like some help and guidance or a free copy of the handbook policy please call us on 01920 463777 or email ilock@qandalaw.co.uk.