iStock
Menopause should be a protected characteristic and employers should have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for menopausal employees to stem the ‘steady haemorrhage of talented women from our workforce’, according to a group of MPs.
In a new report published on 28 July, the cross-party House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee said employers’ lack of support for women experiencing menopausal symptoms is forcing skilled and experienced employees out of the workplace, which in turn impacts the gender pay gap, the promotion of women to senior leadership roles, and the pension gap.
The committee called on the government to: amend the Equality Act so that menopause is treated like pregnancy and maternity; appoint a menopause ambassador to introduce model workplace policies; and pilot menopause leave in a public sector organisation.
The Menopause and the Workplace report notes that the scale of the challenge to ‘individuals, the economy and society’ is very significant. There are 4.5 million women aged 50 to 64 years old in employment, and the average age of menopause is 51, with perimenopausal symptoms starting up to 10 years earlier. However, women often struggle to obtain a diagnosis of perimenopause and menopause, with many complaining GPs are ill-equipped to treat the symptoms. Also, access to specialists, such as endocrinologists and gynaecologists, varies widely according to region.
Women experiencing one or more menopausal symptom are 43% more likely to have left their jobs by the age of 55 than those experiencing no such symptoms, notes the report. The committee found that stigma, discrimination and a lack of support all lead to women giving up work. In its survey of more than 2,000 women, 70% reported increased stress as a result of menopausal symptoms but only 12% sought adjustments at work; 25% of those surveyed were worried about how their employer would react.
In its inquiry, the committee heard evidence of ‘widespread’ and ‘shocking’ discrimination against menopausal employees. However, women can only bring sex- or age-based claims against their employers because the Equality Act 2010 doesn’t accommodate menopause.
The committee slates this as ‘anomalous’ given that all women experience menopause, and asks the government to launch a consultation by the end of the year on making menopause a protected characteristic alongside pregnancy and maternity. It also calls on the government to enact section 14 of the Equality Act to allow combined discrimination claims, for example sex- and age-based claims.
As well as a public health campaign on the menopause, its impact and how to access treatment and support, the committee says the government should appoint a menopause ambassador, chief among whose priorities should be the introduction of model workplace policies, including: reasonable adjustments, flexible working, sickness absence, and building a supportive culture.
Following a pilot of menopause leave within a public sector organisation, the government should evaluate its success and publish the results within 12 months, alongside the next steps for rolling out the scheme to more employers.
The report also contains recommendations on: the training of GPs; the provision of specialist menopause services in every Clinical Commissioning Group area; prescription charges; and access to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to avoid the kind of supply problems that made headlines in the spring.
On the publication of the report, the chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, the Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, said: ‘Menopause is inevitable. The steady haemorrhage of talented women from our workforce, however, is not. Stigma, shame and dismissive cultures can, and must, be dismantled. It is imperative that we build workplaces – and a society – which not only support those going through the menopause, but encourage some of the most experienced and skilled workers in our economy to thrive.
‘The omission of menopause as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act is no longer tenable, given that 51% of the population will experience menopause. We were shocked to hear that many women have to demonstrate their menopausal symptoms amount to a disability to get redress. Our committee is calling on the government to make menopause a protected characteristic in its own right.’
Justine Setchell, a private GP and member of the British Menopause Society, said the new report ‘is not only welcome in general but should be considered an essential reference document for employers and employees alike.
‘For too long I have been working around the lack of menopause as a protected measure under the terms of the Equality Act, trying to find other ways to support employees. The reasonable adjustments I suggest are just that – reasonable: increased ventilation; access to cold water; flexibile working hours, such as starting and finishing earlier or later to avoid busy rush-hour trains. I don’t feel that it’s too big a step for adjustments like these to be protected within the scope of the act.
‘Education of GPs and adequate resources are also essential for women to be able to continue working. Women need to be able to access a suitably qualified health care provider (HCP) to discuss their symptoms, and symptom management, before they start to impact too heavily on their ability to fulfil their contractual roles.
‘Women are starting to discuss menopause more openly and many workplaces now have menopause policies, but it’s important these aren’t just tick-box exercises. If menopause were a protected characteristic, it would give such policies a much better chance of making a real difference to a huge number of women.’
