Whenever the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace is raised, many tend to think of a particular demographic. For some, DEI is synonymous with racial justice; for others, gender equality. Oftentimes, conversations about DEI tend to narrow in scope, highlighting one specific equity-deserving group at a time, or become so broad that they fail to address any single demographic.
Whist any and every constructive conversation about DEI has merit, discussions that are too narrow or too broad in scope can hinder listeners’ ability to act on what they’re learning—especially when those listeners are organisational leaders. Conversations that are vague in nature can fail to identify specific and more importantly effective solutions that can be implemented to promote DEI; whereas conversations that focus on one particular identity oftentimes fail to address intersectionality—consequently failing to satisfactorily protect the spotlighted group from discrimination or unfair treatment at work.
Thus emerges the topic of menopause as the great remediator, offering employers a prime example of how DEI initiatives can address populational, individual, and intersecting needs simultaneously and effectively. Touching on the issue of age-, gender-, race-, and disability-based discrimination, discussions and actions focused on supporting menopausal individuals at work demonstrate how effective truly inclusive, equitable, and flexible practices or policies can be in fostering tangible and sustainable DEI in the workplace.
Menopause at Work: What It Is and Why It Matters for Employers in 2024
Earlier this year, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published new guidance on menopause in the workplace, aiming to raise employers’ awareness of the symptoms and consequential impacts of menopause, and help them understand their legal obligations when supporting menopausal employees under the Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010).
Menopause, a natural part of aging affecting more than 50 percent of the UK population, is defined simply as “the ceasing of menstruation,” which typically occurs in the midlife period between the ages of 40 and 60. Beginning up to five years prior to the last menstruation and ending only after a full year without menstruation, menopause is often accompanied by a slew of symptoms, ranging from mild and manageable to severe and debilitating, including:
- Unstable mood and mental health issues (cited by 87 percent of menopausal individuals);
- Sleep disturbances (cited by 79 percent);
- Cognitive impairment, e.g., “brain fog” (cited by 77 percent);
- Aches and pains (cited by 74 percent);
- Hot flashes (cited by 73 percent);
- Headaches (cited by 68 percent); and
- Vertigo/Dizzy spells (cited by 68 percent)
For 94 percent of menopausal individuals, these symptoms inevitably transfer into the workplace, resulting in challenges such as:
- Difficulty concentrating (cited by 79 percent of menopausal individuals);
- Chronic stress (cited by 68 percent);
- Exhaustion, fatigue, or drowsiness (cited by 63 percent);
- Irritability (cited by 50 percent);
- Symptom-related absences, late arrivals or early dismissals (cited by 50 percent);
- Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and other mental health-related issues (cited by 50 percent); and
- Memory issues (cited by 43 percent)
According to the EHRC, employees experiencing menopausal symptoms are protected from unlawful discrimination under the EqA 2010 on the basis of disability, age, and gender. Citing research which shows that up to two-thirds of middle-aged working women experience menopausal symptoms that have a “negative impact” on them at work, the guidance explains that if menopausal symptoms significantly affect an employee’s ability to perform daily tasks, they may be considered a disability—thereby placing employers under legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments.
Furthermore, because menopause impacts middle-aged women and reproductive health participants, the guidance maintains that menopausal employees may also be protected from discrimination on the grounds of age and sex, whereas findings which suggest that Black women suffer from premature, longer-lasting, and more severe menopause also imply that menopausal individuals may be protected on the grounds of race.
Despite this, new survey data maintains that more than three in five menopausal individuals continue to experience discrimination at work, as a whopping 90 percent of organisations are shown to have no formal support or policies in place to protect their menopausal workers. As a result, new findings reveal that a whopping 3.5 million women—nearly a quarter of the total female labour force—have considered leaving their roles, whilst research from the Fawcett Society indicates that at least one in 10 women actually do so.
With a lack of support from leaders and managers, a lack of reasonable accommodations, and a lack of empathy and understanding among the primary factors driving menopausal employees to quit, it is clear that rectifying this ultimately requires employers to put their DEI competencies to the test: demonstrating how well they can navigate the complexities and nuances of intersectional issues as part of an overarching strategy to create an environment that is truly fair and equitable.
How to do this?
When considering exactly how diverse, equitable, and inclusive an organisation is, perhaps the two most telling questions to ask are:
- Whether all employees can bring their authentic selves to work; and
- Whether all are capable of performing at their full capacity.
If the answers to these questions are negative, then the answer to the overarching question, “how diverse/equitable/inclusive is my organisation?” is “not at all.” No matter what the DEI initiative is or which demographic it targets, the answer to these two questions must be a resounding ‘yes’ for the initiative to be considered successful.
That said, when it comes to the issue of menopause, numerous findings suggest that menopausal employees cannot bring their full selves or perform at their full capacity at work—including those previously mentioned regarding the concerning number of women being pushed out of the workplace. For starters, research observes that more than half of working women experiencing menopause are unable to go to work at some point due to their symptoms—a challenge that, notably, respondents say can be resolved through flexible arrangements including hybrid or remote work options, yet which only a quarter of organisations currently offer for menopausal staff.
Then there’s findings which reveal that nearly two-fifths of women from marginalised groups report that their symptoms have negatively impacted their career progression, compared to less than 25 percent of white women and fewer than one-fifth overall; as well as those which posit that middle-aged women are more likely than middle-aged men to face discrimination at work, speculatively due to the “burden” of menopause.
Such findings are unacceptable, especially because they are correctable. Creating an inclusive and equitable workplace for menopausal employees, therefore, becomes a matter of addressing these and similar gaps and barriers. And one of the best and most seamless ways to do so is by investing in a holistic solutions provider like WPO who can help.
Creating a Culture of Care for Menopause: The Need for Comprehensive Strategies
By partnering with a provider like WPO, employers can gain access to a comprehensive suite of services that they may leverage to create a supportive and inclusive environment for menopausal employees.
Training, Learning, & Development
Starting with training and L&D solutions—because creating that supportive environment first starts with developing informed, supportive peers—employers who enlist in the help of WPO may choose from an expansive list of online or in-person learning events to deliver much-needed training to colleagues, managers, and top-level leaders on how they can cultivate and deploy essential DEI skills such as:
- Inclusive language
- Active listening
- Empathy and respect
- Emotional intelligence
- Cross-cultural communication; collaboration
- Cultural awareness; sensitivity
- Confronting bias
- Conflict resolution
- Curiosity
- Flexibility
- Advocacy
- Relationship-building
And more…
As well as training on how they can best support menopausal employees, which may include topics like:
- Menopause in the workplace: signs, symptoms, challenges, and solutions
- Managing psychosocial risks
- Understanding microaggressions
- Supporting colleagues through difficult times
- Leading high-performing hybrid teams
- Fostering a sense of belonging for remote, hybrid workers
- Navigating flexible work arrangements, and
- Providing reasonable accommodations
By empowering staff to be considerate of menopausal peers, employers can successfully create an inclusive environment in which menopausal staff feel safe to be their authentic selves at work, knowing that they can easily approach a peer or manager should they encounter a challenge that impedes on their ability to work at their best—something that less than 6 percent of menopausal employees feel safe to do now.
Moreover, by educating staff on the signs and symptoms of menopause and their potential solutions, menopausal employees may even be directed to the support they need early on, enabling them to avoid some of the more distressing or severe symptoms of menopause altogether. For instance, thanks to manager training offered by Gower College that seeks to educate managers on how they can provide informed, impactful advice and guidance to menopausal employees and signpost them to the right care, the college has seen a 70 percent reduction in absences for menopausal staff.
Thus, by making sure that menopausal employees are in a position—or, to rephrase, are in an environment where they feel safe and comfortable enough to disclose of their experience with menopause, seek help when problems arise, and access support early on, employers can ensure that employees are able to bring their full authentic selves to work and perform at their best each day. Not only that, but by training all staff on how to be kind, considerate, and empathetic toward peers, employers can also successfully create a diverse and inclusive environment in which employees don’t have to actively seek support and understanding from peers, disclosing personal information in the process, but instead are already immersed within a culture of caring individuals.
Employee Feedback Systems
That said, to create this culture of proactive support, implementing employee feedback systems or listening strategies are yet another potential solution that employers can adopt to reinforce menopausal employees’ sense of belonging, inclusion, and empowerment. By actually demonstrating and not just expressing the value they place on employee voice when making decisions, employers can effectively convince menopausal staff that their voice matters, that their concerns are heard and understood, that their feedback will be used to guide how they are treated and supported at work, and above all, that their employers are committed to their success and wellbeing.
Whether this demonstration takes the form of anonymised, staff-wide pulse or year-end surveys, routine one-on-one or team meetings, follow-up surveys or questionnaires, town halls, or ‘ask the executive series’ so long as menopausal employees can trust not only that their voice will be heard but followed up with tangible action and support can ensure that they feel empowered to raise concerns and request support in a timely manner, enabling employers to discern the most effective measures they can take to support menopausal employees, and in turn helping to prevent larger challenges like absenteeism, turnover, disengagement, and poor performance from cropping up at work.
Flexible Work Arrangements
With employee feedback systems in place, one of the most popular support measures that employers are likely to hear about from staff are flexible work arrangements; specifically, remote and hybrid work models, as well as flexible start and end times.
National indices show that as many as two-thirds of menopausal employees are strongly in favor of home and hybrid working, believing it makes “dealing with menopause easier” whilst also helping them to maintain their baseline level of performance at work. With such arrangements in place, employees are not only able to more effectively manage their symptoms—taking breaks when they need to, stepping outside, adjusting room temperature, wearing loose-fitting or comfortable clothing, or opting to work from home on a day when symptoms are severe—but successfully balance their health needs with their work responsibilities, working at a time and in an environment that is conducive to their capacity to concentrate, innovate, collaborate, think critically and creatively, avoid or correct mistakes, and conquer tasks in a timely manner.
By prioritising flexibility within the organisation’s overall operating model, employers can not only help menopausal employees continue to perform at their best, but can establish an overall culture that upholds the idea that everyone works differently and requires certain environmental conditions for optimal performance, and that a difference in needs, or specifically the need for a bit more support, is in no way a reflection of an employee’s abilities, potential, or value.
Psychosocial and Environmental Risk Assessment
To that point, another essential solution for promoting an inclusive and equitable workplace for menopausal employees are psychosocial and environmental risk assessments that aim to identify and rectify signs of hazard in the workplace that could potentially exacerbate menopausal symptoms or related challenges at work. This may include adverse conditions like excessive workloads, long working hours, irregular or unpredictable schedules, work-life imbalance, lack of support, bullying or harassment, interpersonal tensions, lack of L&D and career advancement opportunities, physically or emotionally demanding tasks, and essentially all those factors that drive inequality, exclusivity, and disparities in the workplace.
By working to ensure that theirs is a physically and psychologically safe workplace, employers can ensure that menopausal employees are not placed in an environment that is stacked against them and instead create an even playing field in which all have the same tools and safety measures in place to grow, thrive, and self-actualise.
Workplace Policy and Compliance
And one of the best ways to cultivate a psychologically safe workplace is through written policies that explicitly protect workers against unfair or hazardous work conditions, such as those that guarantee accommodations like:
- Inclusive sick leave
- Designated rest areas
- Extended breaks and additional rest periods
- Ergonomic adjustments
- Flexible scheduling and work-from-home options
As well as those that promise confidentiality, protection from discrimination, open communication, review of policies, and support for employees’ overall health and wellbeing.
To ensure that such policies are in accordance with national and international law, as highlighted in the EHRC’s new report, employers may also seek guidance from expert consultants with years of industry experience who can help to explain and navigate the legislation surrounding employers’ duty of care. Doing so can effectively solidify the organisation’s reputation as a safe and supportive place to work, further empowering menopausal employees and breaking down some of the barriers that prevent them from continuing or progressing in their careers.
Holistic Wellbeing Services (Emotional, Physical, Practical)
Lastly, but certainly not least, as menopausal employees face symptoms such as mental health issues, disruptions to their physical health, as well as threats to their social wellbeing, providing holistic wellbeing support for employees is paramount to ensuring that their ability to not just show up but to thrive at work every day is not impeded.
By connecting employees to experienced and informed counsellors, clinicians, and coaches who can help them draft a personalised plan for achieving and maintaining optimal wellbeing, employers can ensure that menopausal staff are equipped to carry out tasks, withstand challenges or unexpected changes at work, pursue opportunities for advancement, and prove their worth to their detractors. With their health and wellbeing under control, menopausal employees can remove some of the unique barriers that prevent them from excelling and reaching their full potential at work, thus allowing for a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
Conclusion: DEI is for Everyone
Ultimately, what makes this topic stand out as an exemplary model of what DEI can be is its inherent flexibility and demonstration of the idea that even within specific demographic groups, people are not monolithic. The needs of one are not necessarily the needs of another. Thus, DEI is not about giving one an advantage over the other, or providing “more” support to some employees as opposed to others; but rather, it is about creating a culture in which every employee is and feels like they are heard, are involved in decisions about how employers can support them, are accepted and appreciated for their own skills and strengths, and are protected from threats to their health, wellbeing, and ability to thrive at work.
That said, highlighted are just a few key strategies that can be used to promote menopausal employees’ wellbeing at work, whilst also creating a safer, more supportive, and more uplifting environment for every member of the organisation.
