Today is World Menopause Day!

Today (18 October) is World Menopause Day, which is held each year to raise awareness, break the stigma, and highlight the support available for improving health and wellbeing for those experiencing menopause.

Menopause is not just a gender or age issue, it is an organisational issue which can impact colleagues both directly or indirectly.

Awareness around this topic is key to reducing the stigma attached to menopause and encourages people to talk more openly about it.

Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) showed that:

• women aged 50 and over are the fastest growing group in the workforce, and the average age for menopause transition is 51;
• three out of five working women aged between 45 and 55 who are experiencing menopause symptoms say it has a negative impact on them at work;
• more than half of this group said they experienced more stress;
• nearly a third of women have taken sick leave due to their symptoms, but only a quarter told managers the real reason why.

The menopause affects most women and other people who have a menstrual cycle, including:

• trans people whose gender is not the same as the sex they were assigned at birth; and
• people with “variations of sex development” or who identify as intersex, or use the term “differences in sex development”.

The menopause usually happens between 45 and 55 years of age, but can also happen earlier or later in someone’s life. For many people, symptoms last about four years, but in some cases symptoms can last a lot longer. There are three different stages to the menopause:

• perimenopause;
• menopause;
• postmenopause.

Some people might also experience early menopause or go through medical menopause earlier in their lives. These types of menopause can be medically complicated, so employers should consider this when supporting their staff.

World Menopause Day 2023

The theme for World Menopause Day 2023 is cardiovascular disease.

The link between reproductive factors and cardiovascular disease is another important aspect of menopause that women need to be aware of.

Researchers have recently discovered that a woman’s reproductive experiences, including menstruation, pregnancy, any breast cancer treatments, and menopause, can affect the chances of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. Awareness of this can help determine an individuals risk.

Advice for employers

It is important for employers to support staff through every stage of the menopause. Having early and regular follow-up conversations with staff to understand their needs can help make sure support and procedures are in place so they can continue to do their job effectively.

ACAS states that employers should consider how the person’s job role and responsibilities could make their menopause symptoms harder to deal with, such as:

• working longer shifts;
• not being able to take regular toilet breaks;
• their jobs requiring a uniform which may cause discomfort;
• their jobs not having much flexibility.

It can given staff more confidence to talk to their managers about the effects of the menopause on their work if they know the managers are trained to:

• talk and listen sensitively;
• find ways to give support;
• have knowledge of the menopause and its effects;
• know what support and guidance the organisation can offer.

Risk assessments

By law employers are responsible for the health and safety of all staff, including those working from home. The Equality Act 2010 protects workers against discrimination, and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, says an employer must, where reasonably practicable, ensure everyone’s health, safety and welfare at work.

Employers must conduct a risk assessment of their staff’s work and workplace and those working from home, including:

• generally assessing health and safety risks at work;
• minimising, reducing and where possible, removing health and safety risks for staff.

For staff affected by the menopause, this includes ensuring menopause symptoms are not made worse by the workplace or its work practices, and making changes to help staff manage their symptoms when doing their job. For the menopause, a risk assessment could include:

• the temperature and ventilation of the workplace;
• the material and fit of the organisation’s uniform;
• whether there is somewhere suitable for staff to rest if needed;
• whether toilet facilities are easily accessible;
• whether cold drinking water is available;
• whether managers and supervisors have been trained on health and safety issues relating to the menopause.

This is valid as of 18th October 2023.