Now's the time to burst the taboo around the menopause - Marie Walsh

I was delighted to see that the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee has launched an inquiry into issues surrounding menopause in the workplace. This is being backed by the Countess of Wessex and the idea is to share new policies and readdress gender equality in the workplace – thank goodness this is at the top of the agenda at last.

I know from my own experience that one of the main symptoms of the menopause is anxiety, often combined with intermittent memory loss and unexplainable mood swings. Not all the time but certainly enough of the time to create an impact on day-to-day life.

It’s harder to control emotions and emotional responses and there are also the physical symptoms to consider such as hot flushes, lack of sleep and headaches.

In some ways, menopause is very similar to maternity leave. In years gone by it was a struggle taking maternity leave and until very recently the period of leave was very short. This discouraged women from returning to work and resulted in loss of talent in many areas. The same applies to the menopause.

If we can all speak about it and improve the working environment for other employees who follow in our footsteps, then it should get easier and less of a barrier to work and progression at a time when the individual has oodles of experience and lots to offer longer term. Now, with more and more of us working longer and with a view to busting the taboo surrounding menopause, it’s more important than ever to look at how businesses can support people at work.

Leading online fashion retailer, ASOS announced recently that it will offer staff flexible work and paid leave during menopause, which is a huge step forward.

In light of these breakthroughs, what can firms be doing to acknowledge and support women pre, during and post menopause? The best thing we can all do is to communicate with our teams and speak more freely about it. All leaders with a good understanding of the menopause can set a good example and implement changes for others.

Firstly, I would advise all managers to educate themselves on the menopause. Understand the process, the symptoms and the possible changes people might experience during this time.

This will allow changes to be implemented into the workplace based on knowledge and not assumption.

Imagine the positive feedback of a culture that openly supports people through this difficult time. At a time when we all value loyalty, this is certainly one way to encourage it. My advice is to draw up a policy which provides guidance for people on their journey through menopause – implement it and review it regularly to ensure employees have easy to access to the support they may need.

By Marie Walsh - Employment Lawyer, Mediator and Co-Founder of Consilia Legal

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