Life can be unpredictable at times. But for around half the population one thing’s for certain – the menopause.
People going through menopause are the fastest growing demographic in the workplace. In the UK there's a whopping 13 million women who are currently peri or menopausal, and according to the Faculty of Occupational Medicine, who’ve launched guidance on menopause and the workplace, almost 8 out of 10 of those are in work.
Research shows that around 10 per cent of people have left their job because of symptoms of the menopause, and a lack of support in the workplace. 14 per cent of people in perimenopause or menopause have reduced their working hours, and 8 per cent have passed up on promotions.
They’re pretty shocking statistics. So, why would any progressive, inclusive organisation sit back, do nothing and risk losing a whole lot of amazing, talented and experienced people, many who are in the prime of their careers? Surely providing good menopause support makes good business sense?
At Yorkshire Housing we pride ourselves on our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and encourage colleagues to ‘be yourself at work’. We’re determined to break the taboo and make talking about the menopause normal, because in one way or another it affects everyone. The symptoms affect women, trans, non-binary – some might be mild, some might be completely debilitating. But the impact goes much further and touches colleagues, partners, children, and friends.
So, in early 2022 we set up a menopause support group to share experiences and ideas about how we can educate the people around us and keep the conversation about menopause going. We started out with three or four members, and we’re now at almost 40. And in just 12 months we’ve:
- launched a menopause area on our wellbeing hub where colleagues can access all sorts of useful info and support
- created a guide and delivered training to help managers support colleagues who’re going through menopause and perimenopause
- introduced dignity boxes in our work hub and other Yorkshire Housing-owned locations with a selection of sanitary products and toiletries in case colleagues get caught short
- ‘menopause-proofed’ all our policies and procedures, which means colleagues experiencing menopause aren’t disadvantaged as a result of their symptoms, and managers are empowered to make reasonable adjustments
And of course, our ‘hub, home, roam’ approach to working means that there’s loads of flexibility around where, when and how colleagues work, which is a game-changer when managing the impact of symptoms like insomnia, migraines, and anxiety to name just a few.
We also recently held our first menopause awareness session, which was hosted by Julie Dennis, a menopause in the workplace specialist. The event was well attended by both male and female colleagues, and provided lots of useful hints and practical tips about coping with symptoms and how best to support colleagues.
It was also a welcome reminder that the menopause isn’t all bad – no more periods or pre-menstrual syndrome (yay!) and it doesn’t last forever; it’s a transition to a new chapter in life and you do eventually come out the other end okay!
Nick Atkin, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Housing said: "Despite it being a perfectly normal part of life, for far too long the menopause has been a taboo subject. Our clear message is that help is available at Yorkshire Housing, whether that’s being part of our menopause support group, feeling able to talk openly with your manager about symptoms that impact your work, or if you just want to learn more so you can support yourself or your team members.
“I'd encourage everyone who feels comfortable in doing so to join in the discussions so we can support each other, build awareness, be truly inclusive and make sure colleagues who are going through menopause can continue to have successful, rewarding and fulfilling working lives.”