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Menopause was once a subject rarely discussed or talked about in public, never mind at full volume and in the workplace. In the last few years however, the profile of menopause has been somewhat raised, both by celebrities in the media, workplace tribunals that have made it into the news and discussions on this topic in parliament.
The reality is, with women making up 52.7% of the workforce, according to the Women and the UK economy, (recently released by the House of commons) and almost 50 % of the over 50 workforce being women, menopause is a topic that is here to stay.
Some organisations have been quick off the mark to add menopause to their workplace wellbeing agenda, whilst others are perhaps unsure about how they introduce the topic in an equal and inclusive manner.
So if this is something you have been considering, where do you start?
Let’s start with the legalities:
Where does menopause sit within UK legislation?
Whilst menopause is not a protected characteristic itself, it is still covered under:
● Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which says an employer must, where reasonably practical, ensure everyone’s health, safety and welfare at work and that a workplace or it’s practices
● Equality Act 2010, which protects workers against discrimination
If an employee or worker is put at a disadvantage and treated less favourably because of their menopause symptoms, this could be discrimination if related to a protected characteristic, for example:
● age
● disability
● gender reassignment
● sex
Is a menopause policy a legal requirement?
The short answer is no. You don’t have to have one. But what happens if you don’t?
How do your employees know that they will have your support if they raise their menopause & work related issues?
How do your managers know what the organisations view is of managing menopause at work and what kind of reasonable adjustments are deemed “reasonable”?
And how do you then embed awareness and training whilst engaging your employees to value the benefit?
A lack of a policy and menopause support can result in:
● Higher levels of sickness absence
● Reduced productivity &/ engagement
● Reduced hours / leaving work prematurely
● Loss of knowledge and expertise
● Cost of replacing experienced employees
● Potential costly tribunals if situations have not been handled correctly
So, if you are keen to create an inclusive and supportive environment for your employees and ensure that your management team understands the importance of managing menopause in a way that is in line with UK legislation, then having a menopause policy, although not a legal requirement, is pretty important. It is the first step in the process of acknowledging menopause and the impact it can have in the workplace.
We here at The Affable Partnership can help you with the right policy that specifically suits your business and provide you and your teams with the correct training, get in touch to find out more.
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