Menopause significantly impacts the workforce with over 75% of women experiencing symptoms during their transition, affecting their work performance and career decisions.
Key Statistics
A recent survey found that 73% of employees experiencing menopausal symptoms reported that these symptoms negatively affected their work. 57% of women experiencing menopause symptoms reported challenges related to their work environment. Over 1 in 10 menopausal women consider quitting work due to lack of employer support.
With regards to the impact on their career decisions approximately 25% of women considered not pursuing leadership opportunities due to their menopausal symptoms, 40% considered finding a new job due to the experience they were having.
The economic costs associated with menopause in the workplace include women leaving work or reducing their hours due to the symptoms. This not only affects individual careers but also has broader implications for businesses facing skills shortages.
Even where there is support in place, issues that I have seen include;
- Menopause policy is unclear and ‘woolly’ and lacks practical guidance;
- Lack of training for line managers and employees on the menopause, effects of it, possible impacts and ways to support individuals going through this;
- Line managers not confident about starting a conversation or lack of awareness about what support looks like and the options available in the organisation;
- Organisations unaware of the legal implications and protection in place;
- Taking too long to support individuals and to put adjustments in place, and not having regular reviews to ensure that the woman’s needs are still being met as their symptoms may change as they transition;
- Not recognising the menopause is an individual condition, not experienced by all, or in the same way of even at the same age banding, and not asking the employee what would help them;
- Managers not thinking flexibly about how adjustments could be made and having a fixed mindset that this is a problem which their operation cannot accommodate (but this is becoming less with all the media communication and support for women with the menopause or related conditions);
- Not seeking help and support from their HR department or specialist source of information/ support.
Other risks of not addressing this and making provision could include the following;
- Reduced performance and attendance at work by the employee;
- Grievances being received- informal and if not resolved, formal;
- If the formal grievance is not addressed and promptly, the employee may seek legal redress, which results in huge costs for the organisation (far more than providing adjustments!), either in financial recompense to the employee or settling the claim pre tribunal hearing outcome;
- As referred to above, the employee decides to leave employment as they are struggling and don’t feel supported;
- Reputation damage to the organisation as an outcome of those above, including the perception of the employee’s colleagues in how they were treated and in having to cover the work of the absent employee or due to their reduced performance;
- Cost of time spent in managing this situation to undo the mismanagement of the situation and time the line manager could have spent in focusing on improving business performance.
Conclusion
Organisations, regardless of whether it has 250+ employees or just 1 woman employee for the benefit of both the organisations and those women going through the menopause there is a need for increased awareness and appropriate support.
Supportive, thorough policies need to be implemented and to create a culture that facilitates open discussions about the menopause, ultimately benefitting both employees and the organisations as a whole. Addressing these issues can lead to improved retention, productivity and overall workplace satisfaction and engagement, and not just for those navigating this change.
