An article from the Accord Mortgages Growth series
Do you understand the impact that menopause and perimenopause can have on a woman, their partner and their family? And does your business offer adequate support to colleagues who are going through it or supporting a loved one right now?
If not, it’s time to do something about it.
Most women in their 40s are affected in some way by perimenopause, while the average age for a woman to go through menopause is 51.
So needless to say, this is an issue that affects a significant number of working age women.
In the financial services sector alone, around 128,000 women – around one in ten employees – are currently going through the menopause, according to the Fawcett Society.
But worryingly, their experience has made them seriously consider leaving their job, with one in four citing it as the reason they’re more likely to take early retirement. In addition, almost half said their menopausal status makes them less likely to want to progress in their role.
It’s therefore clear that businesses need to act to address this issue, so they can get the most out of their employees who are being affected by the menopause and perimenopause and prevent the loss of diversity in the workforce, which could have a detrimental impact to the business.
Menopause and the workplace
NHS England recently released the first national guidance on menopause, encouraging healthcare line managers and employees to adopt practices such as “normalising asking for help”.
But it also did something else – calling on employers in other sectors to “break the stigma” and introduce similar guidance, and we can’t understate how much this is needed.
According to research by the Fawcett Society, eight in ten menopausal women in the UK don’t believe their employer offers any basic support. That’s despite almost half saying their symptoms affect their ability to work and perform at their best.
For instance, 84 per cent of women polled admitted they have difficulty sleeping, while 73 per cent said they suffer from brain fog, which can be incredibly debilitating and embarrassing in the workplace. In addition, 69 per cent said they experienced difficulties with anxiety or depression because of the menopause.
As a result, many women are losing confidence and motivation at work, which is to the detriment of both them and their employer.
A huge proportion of menopausal women also feel not only that the issue is being ignored, but also that it isn’t even being taken seriously. In fact, 41 per cent of the women surveyed also said menopause symptoms were treated as a joke by colleagues, which suggests there’s a big cultural problem in some workplaces surrounding this issue.
That, in turn, explains why so many are staying silent on the subject.
In the financial services sector, just 22 per cent of women and trans men currently experiencing the menopause let their employer know, with many staying silent not because of their preference for privacy, but because of the perceived social stigma.
This backs up the findings of a separate report by the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC), which revealed nearly nine in ten women don’t tell anyone at work or seek adjustments, as they’re worried about privacy and worry about the reaction of others.
As a result, many women aren’t being forthcoming if they genuinely need to take off work, with some preferring to cite anxiety or depression as a reason for being absent, instead of telling their boss they’re suffering with menopause and perimenopause symptoms.
According to the select committee report, 31 per cent of menopausal women have taken time off work due to their symptoms, so it’s clear that there’s a strong business case for taking action on this issue.
According to the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, almost eight in ten women going through menopause are currently in work, so by introducing menopause policies and support for these vital members of your team, you could make a massive difference to your business. You could, for instance, reduce staff absenteeism, boost productivity, increase staff morale, improve staff retention, enhance your reputation as an employer…the list goes on.
It is clear that a massive cultural change is required, with menopause and perimenopause no longer being considered a taboo subject, and women going through it getting the type of support and respect they deserve.
What practical steps can you take to support menopausal and perimenopausal women?
Set out in writing what type of support your business will offer to colleagues, and make it accessible to everybody. Your policies should be regularly reviewed, so you can quickly identify what’s working and what isn’t, and make changes where necessary.