Menopause awareness training is an important element of diversity and inclusion

“Menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55.”

This is the definition given by the NHS, and it may be all that many men and women really know about the menopause. Perhaps some think of the menopause as ‘just’ experiencing hot flushes or being ‘moody’, but as many others know, the menopause affects women in so many different ways and at different ages. Yet it remains a taboo in so many workplaces.

Employers have a duty of care to encourage an inclusive work environment and help to break the stigma and taboo which still hovers over the menopause. Staff members and managers need to be equipped with the knowledge required to support women going through the menopause and this can be done through simple training as well as including a policy within the staff handbook. For a woman experiencing menopausal symptoms, knowing that their manager and colleagues have a greater understanding and that the organisation is there to support her, will help build confidence, potentially reduce sick days, improve employee relations and reduce stress.

A few facts about the menopause

• The average age is 51 in the UK, but often the menopause starts from the age of 45 and in some cases before 40 years of age.
• Menopausal symptoms can begin months or even years before periods stop (peri-menopause), and they can last around four years after the last period (post-menopause).
• The symptoms can range from barely noticeable to almost debilitating with 1 in 4 women experiencing serious symptoms.

Why do employers need to know about the menopause in the context of work?

• People experiencing menopausal symptoms require the same support and understanding from their employer as anyone experiencing any ongoing health condition.
• It is a key recruitment and retention issue to tap into and retain female talent.
• 4 million women aged 45-55 currently work (ONS 2021).
• There is a strong compliance case – employer’s duty of care for employees’ health, safety and wellbeing at work.
• The Equality Act 2010 protects workers against discrimination – while menopause isn’t a protected charactersitic, age, sex and gender reassignment are.
• There have already been successful employment tribunals against employers for discrimination, bullying and harassment.

How can People Business help your organisation break the menopause taboo?

People Business has been supporting organisations with training and development for over 20 years and Menopause Awareness Training is just one of our many programmes designed to support inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.

Whether delivered face to face or online, our Menopause Awareness Training and specific menopause policies can help your organisation to break the menopause stigma and encourage staff members to be more understanding.

Recently, we worked with one of our clients, JPC, to deliver menopause awareness training separately to managers and staff. It was very well received by all participants.

“I just wanted to reach out and say congratulations and well done for an extremely well-planned session. The feedback has been positive and the delivery, level and approach were spot on for such a heavy subject. Thank you to our in-house colleague Julie Edmonds, Head of Employment Law and Lucilla Kearsey from People Business for the time and efforts you have both put into this. You were both excellent,” Yashmin Mistry, Managing Partner, JPC.

If you would like to find out more about our Menopause Awareness Training or how we can assist with your policies in this matter, contact us now.

For further reading and understanding check out the links below.

• CIPD: “Let’s talk menopause”
• International menopause society: “World Menopause Day”
• The British Menopause Society: Continuing the Conversation