This month is menopause awareness month – which is great but are organisations really menopause aware I wonder?
I turned 50 last month – one new area that has popped up in my chat with friends over the last few years is menopause! It is clear that everyone has a very different experience – some sail though it and some definitely don’t.
At 50 women are generally much more established in their careers, the years of juggling work with childcare are behind me (thank goodness!), but one common theme I see when I chat to women my age is that they are just “getting on with it” when it comes to dealing with menopause and work. Rather than asking for support we muddle through, possibly feeling that admitting that we are struggling will be seen as a weakness.
Lots of organisations now have a Menopause Policy which states the organisation will provide support, but this is only a statement unless it is brought to life. Women are not going to open up about how they are feeling unless they genuinely believe they will be supported.
So what can organisations do to bring the policy to life and make sure that women do feel supported?
Here are my top tips:
BBC news recently reported that the Office Manager of Thistle Marine in Peterhead was awarded £37,000 after her boss told her she used menopause as an “excuse for everything”. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-66962519
I hope that organisations see the need to show empathy and understanding for women going through menopause – but if that doesn’t drive change then the financial impact of not doing it surely will.
I believe attitudes will change and in years to come and my kids (who are both boys) will find our stories of how menopause is managed in the workplace in 2023 very outdated. Just like I laugh when my parents tell me that my Mum was asked in 1970 when she got married if she planned a family? and if she said yes that meant she would not be promoted!
If you would like to chat further about the steps your organisation can take to support women going through the menopause please get in touch with me.
I turned 50 last month – one new area that has popped up in my chat with friends over the last few years is menopause! It is clear that everyone has a very different experience – some sail though it and some definitely don’t.
At 50 women are generally much more established in their careers, the years of juggling work with childcare are behind me (thank goodness!), but one common theme I see when I chat to women my age is that they are just “getting on with it” when it comes to dealing with menopause and work. Rather than asking for support we muddle through, possibly feeling that admitting that we are struggling will be seen as a weakness.
Lots of organisations now have a Menopause Policy which states the organisation will provide support, but this is only a statement unless it is brought to life. Women are not going to open up about how they are feeling unless they genuinely believe they will be supported.
So what can organisations do to bring the policy to life and make sure that women do feel supported?
Here are my top tips:
- Communicate the Menopause Policy with clear messaging around the support that is available
- Train all managers on symptoms of Menopause and how this can impact on work
- Be quick to address inappropriate “banter” at work around menopause
- Treat menopause related absence or symptoms as you would any other health related condition
- Be open minded around reasonable adjustments (which may involve hybrid working, changes to working hours or amended working location)
- Where menopause is having an impact on performance or attendance consider support the organisation can provide
BBC news recently reported that the Office Manager of Thistle Marine in Peterhead was awarded £37,000 after her boss told her she used menopause as an “excuse for everything”. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-66962519
I hope that organisations see the need to show empathy and understanding for women going through menopause – but if that doesn’t drive change then the financial impact of not doing it surely will.
I believe attitudes will change and in years to come and my kids (who are both boys) will find our stories of how menopause is managed in the workplace in 2023 very outdated. Just like I laugh when my parents tell me that my Mum was asked in 1970 when she got married if she planned a family? and if she said yes that meant she would not be promoted!
If you would like to chat further about the steps your organisation can take to support women going through the menopause please get in touch with me.
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