A Cumbrian HR specialist is seeking to equip Cumbria and Lancashire with the most menopause-friendly workplaces in the UK, by urging employers across these counties to take a ‘menopause pledge’.
Phil Collier Associates (PCA) wants Cumbrian and Lancashire-based employers to commit to putting the right policies and practices in place, to ensure both wellbeing for all who suffer menopausal symptoms and best practice and legal compliance for their businesses.
Phil Collier Associates says that, although addressing the needs of female employees going through the transition should always have been a priority for employers, it is more imperative than ever that it becomes one now. The HR adviser says there are over 4m female workers affected and that women aged 45-55 are the fastest-growing demographic in the workforce.
Despite the menopause affecting so many employees, only 10% of organisations across the UK offer their staff any support. Within even this small percentage of companies, only 3% of managers have had specific training in how to handle this issue.
The quest to make the county’s businesses more menopause friendly comes in World Menopause Month. It also comes at a time when the Tribunal Service has seen many more cases brought before it in recent years, which concern women who believe they have not received the treatment that the law expects of an employer. There were 6 such cases in the whole of 2019; in the first half of 2021 alone, there were 10.
PCA’s appeal follows a general increase in awareness about this issue from an HR perspective. The Government is viewing the menopause as a priority issue within its work, diversity and inclusion agenda and has appointed the first-ever Women’s Health Ambassador. It expects businesses to create a narrative around the menopause and take positive action to ensure all sufferers have equal opportunities within the workplace.
Symptoms that menopause sufferers can experience include hot flushes, headaches, tiredness and drowsiness, memory loss and loss of confidence, anxiety, depression and difficulties in concentrating. Muscle stiffness and severe aches can result and mood swings can be difficult to control. 58% of women going through the menopause experience stress.
Three-in-five women who suffer are negatively impacted at work and, although many employers may not realise it, the menopause is a key equalities issue. It is also an issue that can negatively impact on business productivity and the successful running of a business, if not handled well.
“The impacts can be so debilitating that many women who suffer choose to leave work entirely, rather than having to try to face coping at work, with statistics showing that one-in-ten women have left their job for this reason,” says PCA’s Nicola Cassley.
“At a time when recruitment is so difficult and talent retention so important, too many employers are allowing highly experienced women, often at the peak of their career, to walk out of the door. Creating policies and practices that can prevent this from happening will be advantageous to both the menopause sufferer and the employer.”
PCA is urging employers to create specific menopause policies, which will outline their approach for their workers. These should be integrated into the firm’s equality and diversity policies and will help to influence how management handle the issue and how the company makes the workplace a fit environment for those going through the menopause.
“Whilst the Equality Act 2010 doesn’t specifically mention the menopause, employers should be very aware that employees could bring a case against them on the basis of sex, age or disability discrimination. They could also suffer harassment in the workplace, feel they have no alternative but to resign and then bring a constructive dismissal claim, or question the employer’s actions on health and safety grounds.
“Employers should do the right thing for their employees, because it is the right thing to do. However, in doing so, they will also greatly improve the resilience of their organisation to any potential future employment tribunal cases,” says Nicola Cassley.
PCA says it is vital that employers take the menopause pledge, carry out menopause-specific risk assessments and train their managers in the right techniques and processes to use to handle the situation correctly and with the right degree of empathy. Employers must ensure there is no stigma or harassment attached to the menopause and that it is not a taboo topic within the workplace.
PCA has valuable expertise in this area and is standing by to assist any Cumbrian or Lancashire-based employer needing to quickly get to grips with this part of its duty of care for all employees. It urges employers to get in contact and put the right practices in place.
