Conclusion
At all three roundtables, it was clear that there is a real desire to support menopausal people in the workforce. Participants were interested in, and saw the necessity of, raising awareness and normalising the menopause in the workplace.
As with any business drive for change, implementing menopause initiatives to create a truly supportive and inclusive workplace will require a commitment from businesses. The benefits to a business of normalising and supporting menopausal workers should be tangible.
Not only will such measures mitigate against legal claims and potentially assist to close the gender pay gap, but they should also reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and support the engagement and retention of a richly talented intergenerational workforce of the future.
Following a review of the information gathered at all three roundtables, we have set out below our key steps to creating a menopause friendly workplace:
- Consider the best framework to use to raise awareness within your organisation, ideally within your health and wellbeing agenda.
- Raise awareness of the menopause, its symptoms and effect for all staff. This will likely involve a combination of training and awareness raising initiatives through mediums such as newsletters, notice boards and surveys.
- Seek to normalise discussions regarding menopause in the workplace by ensuring that there is an open door culture and demonstrating management level commitment and understanding to discussing and supporting menopausal people.
- Review existing policies and frameworks to ensure that they are menopause friendly, for example, can flexible and agile working policies be introduced or used to better effect?
- Consider adaptions that could be made to the working arrangements and environment to support people going through the menopause, regardless of whether or not there is a legal obligation to make those adjustments.
- Work with occupational health and other health providers to ensure that they are specialised in assessing if a person is going through the menopause and providing menopause support. Look at what training they can offer your business.
- Create guidance and provide training on conducting Health and Safety risks assessments for those experiencing the menopause.
- Manage people who you believe may be going through the menopause and struggling at work in the same manner as any sensitive health issue. Address matters promptly in a supportive manner and seek medical input where required.
At Burness Paull, we secured funding through Impact Funding Partners and the Workplace Equality Fund to support a menopause project within our business which included raising awareness, training and working to breakdown any stigma associated with the menopause.
