Menopause at work

It is extremely important to us that we have a work culture where all of our staff feel comfortable talking about personal matters, and they know that anything discussed will be dealt with sensitively and confidentially.

 

We are currently exploring ways our schools can make reasonable adjustments to minimise the risk of the working environment making menopausal symptoms worse for those experiencing them.

 

A 2018 survey by TUC, Open University, University of Bristol and University of Leicester highlighted the top 5 symptoms women said affect them most at work, with 29.5% experiencing insomnia, 31.9% suffering with anxiety and worry, 34.3% strugglng with their focus and concentration, 35.1% affected by hot flushes and 40.3% experiencing fatigue.

Each school has been allocated a 'designated person' who is able to put together a support plan with a member of staff if they are not comfortable discussing with their line manager. We are also in the process of developing a colleague support network and have introduced a new Menopause Policy.

All staff are being trained on what the menopause is and the symptoms that affected staff may suffer. We will be running training for our line managers on Menopause Awareness and introducing a training session to support staff who have menopause symptoms. Through educating our staff, we hope to to help minimise any menopause-related stigma in our schools.