42% of employers unclear how to deal with menopause concerns
Employers are being urged to turn greater openness about the menopause into more consistent workplace support, as four in 10 say they lack clarity around how to deal with concerns when raised.
In a poll of HR professionals, employment law firm WorkNest found 42% admitted to not having a clear approach in their organisation to managing menopause-related concerns.
More positively, 64% said employees were now broadly comfortable talking about menopause at work. One in five (21%) said it was now discussed openly, and only 5% said staff were “very reluctant” to raise it or treated it as taboo.
This was a marked shift since similar polling WorkNest carried out in 2022, when 31% said managers and employees were entirely reluctant to discuss menopause, and only 15% said it was talked about openly.
However, this new openness is not always matched by clear processes or manager confidence. As well as the 42% who said they had no clear approach, just 5% felt concerns or complaints were handled consistently.
A total of 39% were not confident their managers could respond appropriately if an employee said their symptoms were affecting their work. Manager training was the single biggest gap in improving support, selected by35% of respondents.
The findings come months ahead of equality action plans becoming mandatory for employers with 250 or more employees from spring 2027.
Vedette Rees, HR consultant at WorkNest, said: “We are seeing real progress in workplace culture and openness when it comes to menopause. A few years ago, menopause was something most people wouldn’t mention at work. Now employees feel more able to speak up, and that’s exactly what employers should want.
The challenge now is making sure that middle management knows how to respond when dealing with it with a team member. The findings suggest that clear processes and manager confidence are still missing in many workplaces. Without them, the support an employee receives can depend too heavily on who they speak to,” she added.
The research was also published to coincide with World Menopause Day this week (18 October). Next month, Personnel Today will be holding a webinar on menopause support under the Employment Rights Act.
In response to World Menopause Day, health and safety firm Croner urged employers to consider how workplace conditions could be affecting employees experiencing menopause symptoms.
It cited research from the British Standards Institution (BSI) concluding that nearly half (49%) of those experiencing menopause or menstrual health-related challenges said their employer had offered no relevant support. Just 38% felt confident their employer would help them find a solution.
Chris Wagstaff, director of health and safety at Croner, said: “Menopause itself is not a workplace hazard, but employers should consider whether working conditions could worsen symptoms or affect an employee’s ability to work safely.”
Source: https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/employers-still-unclear-how-to-deal-with-menopause-concerns/
Posted: 20