According to a recent study of UK working women over 45, only one in 10 said that they knew for sure that their employer had a menopause policy, 50% said they did not have one while 40% did not know either way.
The report by Perspectus Global, an international research agency, also found that one in 20 women over the age of 45 had symptoms which caused major difficulties for them at work; 10% had symptoms which caused moderate difficulties; while 27% experienced only “slight issues”.
However, nearly half (49%) of women said that they would not feel comfortable talking to a line manager about menopausal symptoms. Some were concerned that younger workers would think they were “over the hill” or “not fit to work” which, in turn, would affect their status in the workplace. Other women were simply too embarrassed to talk about their symptoms.
And perhaps with good reason. One of the issues uncovered by the study was a lack of understanding about the menopause among workers in general. Almost a quarter of men and 12% of women admitted that they had no knowledge at all about menopause; while one in five of all 18-to-24 year-olds was unaware what the symptoms of menopause might be.
The study found that only 37% of managers had been offered training around menopause. For some reason that is not explained, the researchers found that a much higher percentage of managers (58%) under the age of 35 had had training. They were also more likely to be approached by staff who were experiencing symptoms – 70% had been contacted by employees, compared to just half of bosses and managers over 35.
Whilst recognising that there is currently no “one-size-fits-all” approach to help menopausal women at work because every woman will experience it differently, the report’s authors emphasise that businesses should focus on investing in training for their managers, not least perhaps because 47% of women said that they did not feel supported.
The authors also want a change in the law. Although menopausal women have some protection under the Equalities Act 2010 on grounds of sex, disability or age, the authors argue that making menopause a protected characteristic would be a big step forward.
The report involved 2000 quantitative online surveys, of which 304 were with working women aged over 45. Experts in the field of the menopause were also interviewed and their comments were used to help shape the report’s findings.
To read the report in full, click here.