WELLBEING Creating a menopause friendly workplace
Ask staff for their feedback on how they think those who have experienced the menopause, feel supported in your setting. This will need to be anonymous and cover all staff – you can celebrate what your setting is doing well, and target improvements in areas that will make the most significant impact. You can repeat this to see the impact of any changes you make.
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n his regular column looking at wellbeing in schools, Mark Solomons, CEO of School Wellbeing Accelerator - an acclaimed wellbeing expert with over 12 years’ experience developing leadership and culture in UK schools and creator of Welbee a highly effective online evaluation and staff wellbeing improvement tool, winner of the ERA 2022 Wellbeing Award – this month discusses how to create a menopause friendly workplace.
Women have always made up the majority of the teaching workforce in England. The latest School Workforce Census statistics from Nov 2021 (2020/21 school year) puts the figure at 75.5%, so it is surprising that consideration for those experiencing the menopause has only recently made it on to the agenda. This is not just an age or gender issue, it is an organisational issue, with a huge impact directly and indirectly on the workforce, one that should be addressed when considering staff wellbeing.
Women usually experience the menopause between 45-55 years old, but physical and psychological symptoms can occur years before and continue for years after. The menopause can significantly impact the daily lives of employees and, in turn, negatively affect their performance and attendance at work. Some symptoms may last for several years and can be both physically and emotionally distressing, and the psychological effects of the menopause can also impact relationships in the workplace. There is a long list of symptoms - the more commonly recognised ‘hot flushes’, to less well known, such as heart palpitations and panic attacks. A quarter of menopausal people suffer debilitating symptoms that can lead to physical and mental illness. Symptoms can be so severe that a person experiencing the menopause
may need to take time off, but feel unable to disclose their reasons for absence. In some circumstances, they may even need to leave their job altogether.
The Menopause and the Workplace report (May 2022) by the Fawcett Society commissioned by Channel 4, polled 4,000 women aged 45-55. The report uncovered the stigma faced by many: • 41% reported that the menopause or menopausal symptoms were treated as a joke by colleagues • 39% cited anxiety or depression as reason for absence rather than share their menopause status • 14% asked for reduced hours and • 8% stopped asking for promotion • 10% left their job because of symptoms of the menopause
As a health and wellbeing issue, that up to now has rarely been acknowledged, we need to take positive action to ensure that anyone going through the menopause is supported. Leaders should recognise the need to take sensitive, positive action, normalise discussion and address any stigma.
Under the Equality Act 2010 (s.20) all employers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments, and take positive action to remove any disadvantages that could be experienced by people who have a disability or illness. According to ACAS the menopause can sometimes be considered a disability under discrimination law.
Creating a menopause friendly workplace It’s important to bring all your staff on board, and this begins with seeking their views about how your setting currently supports those going through the menopause. Here are some suggestions:
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Introduce a menopause policy to provide support for menopausal colleagues and prevent discrimination. The policy may include how employees report health issues relating to the menopause and who to inform; details of adjustments employees may request to help manage their symptoms; an outline of how menopause absence relates to absence management policies; and training for managers to help them support colleagues experiencing menopausal symptoms. Often a few simple changes in the workplace can make a world of difference – talking about the menopause openly can reduce the impact of some symptoms, and reasonable adjustments can enable people to continue performing well in their roles. Here are some suggestions: • Flexibility around additional breaks, with a quiet area or room available, that can be accessed at any time, with temporary cover available if staff need to leave their post • Make allowances for the potential additional need for sickness absence • Allow flexible / home working, wherever possible • Reduce demands if workload is identified as an issue; provide additional time to complete tasks if needed, or consider substituting with alternative tasks • Ensure that staff are trained in mental health awareness • Raise general awareness of issues around the menopause, so colleagues are more likely to be supportive. Provide opportunities to network with colleagues experiencing similar issues - for example through a menopause action and support group • Provide access to counselling services In any conversation with staff, it’s important that leaders and line managers remember that everyone’s experience of the menopause is unique, and staff will need personalised support to help them manage the impact of the menopause on their work.
Leaders need to treat the menopause as they would any other health issue. Menopausal symptoms can significantly impact a person’s life – their relationships at work and home. Making schools and MATs menopause friendly workplaces, supports the wellbeing of all staff. It helps break the stigma and taboo surrounding the menopause, and creates an inclusive environment; employees and managers can discuss reasonable adjustments, to ensure everyone can continue to thrive in the workplace.
As part of staff wellbeing - the foundation of a school’s or MAT’s culture – it should become something that simply happens every day.
March 2023
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