World Menopause Awareness Month provides a yearly reminder of the importance of raising awareness and improving understanding of the menopause and associated health issues. But conversations around the menopause aren’t something to confine to a single month of the year.

My client owns a small logistics business, employing a mixture of office and warehouse staff. With it being menopause awareness month, this has got a few of the staff members talking about their own experiences of it and how they wished more had been done at work to support them. My client doesn’t really know much about this, or what can they do. Is there any support I can give?

More than 33 million women, aged between 45 and 55 on average, in the UK will experience the menopause, and with women over 50 one of the fastest-growing workplace demographics in the UK – the average age the menopause starts is 51 - it’s an issue that employers need to be aware of.

According to the CIPD, the menopause is ‘a natural stage of life when oestrogen levels decline and periods stop’. The NHS says the menopause occurs when periods have stopped for over 12 months.

Employees experiencing it can suffer from a range of symptoms, varying in their intensity, including anxiety, mood swings, brain fog, hot flushes, heavy bleeding and many more. The impact can be mental and physical, and affect social relationships, work performance and absence levels.

CIPD research has found that nearly two-thirds of working women aged between 40–60 had experienced a negative impact of their menopausal symptoms at work. Of those affected:

• 79% said they were less able to concentrate
• 68% said they experienced more stress
• nearly half (49%) said they felt less patient with clients and colleagues
• 46% felt less physically able to carry out work tasks
• over half (53%) reported having time off work due to their symptoms.

One in 10 women have even left employment because of the impact the menopause has had on then, according to the Fawcett society.

Depending on the severity of menopause symptoms, they can fall within the definition of ‘disability’ in the Equality Act 2010 (EqA). This applies where a mental or physical impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on an individual’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Those going through the menopause can also be protected under the EqA under the sex and/or age protected characteristics.

Should an employee’s symptoms be sufficiently serious to meet the definition of disability, the employer will be under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to their working conditions and environment to alleviate the impact of those symptoms. Failure to do so could lead to a claim under the EqA by the employee.

However, it’s not recommended to wait until the symptoms reach this threshold to provide support; it should be offered to those going through the menopause regardless of whether the definition of disability applies.

Taking steps such as recognising that menopause is an issue faced by women in the workplace, and the impact it can have on them, is therefore important. Talking openly, positively and respectfully about it is the best way to approach this, as is actively supporting those employees affected.

Employers should start a dialogue with their employees about how best to support them. Each workplace is unique, so getting those who have personally faced this within the organisation, and how they could have better been supported, will help to gather ideas directly relevant to your client.

Practical steps they could take are developing a ‘menopause at work’ policy, detailing the support available and the practices in place. It can also include commitments to treating those going through this with dignity and respect.

This can be through conversations with affected employees so the support they are offered can be tailored to their needs.

Changes to the work environment, such as fans to help employees regulate their body temperature better, easy access to appropriate toilets, and temporary flexible working, can help to manage symptoms when they’re at their worse.

The benefits of taking these steps are significant. Employees that are comfortable, and feel supported, are going to be more engaged, loyal and productive. They can also reduce absences and lengthy breaks off the shop floor.

By Stacie Cheadle, technical writer, Croner-i

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