Businesses have traditionally been wary about addressing issues raised by menopause, and for many managers, the topic has been viewed as taboo and not something that can comfortably be discussed.
However, as there are 3.5m women over 50 in the workplace, with a Government Report on Menopause citing that 'menopausal women are the fastest growing workforce demographic’, it’s important for businesses to:
Understand key menopausal symptoms.
Be aware that menopause can present difficulties for some women at work.
Be able to talk openly and honestly about the challenges menopause presents.
Understand the ways they can provide support to those experiencing menopause.
A survey conducted by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) found two-thirds of the women surveyed said they had no support at work, with a survey conducted by ITV's Tonight programme, in conjunction with Wellbeing of Women, revealing that that half of those quizzed said symptoms made their work life worse.
Thousands of female workers experience key menopause symptoms such as:
hot flushes
irregular periods
mood swings
anxiety
poor memory
Thankfully the dialogue is starting to open up, with celebrities like Davina McCall invested in busting taboos. Davina’s ‘Sex, Myths and Menopause’ Channel 4 documentary created a wave of interest and helped to tackle the widespread misinformation surrounding menopause.
Colleague Box and ChangeXtra Collaboration
In support of World Menopause Day Colleague Box has teamed up with Dr Claire Mann founder of ChangeXtra - an organisation dedicated to enabling and empowering through knowledge share, experience and education.
Dr Claire Mann founder of ChangeXtra lists five key reasons why it is important to think about Menopause at work.
100% of women go through the menopause
1 in 4 women suffer debilitating symptoms which impact their life, relationships and work
900,000 women quit their job in the UK due to the menopause
14 million working days were lost in the UK to symptoms of the menopause
Employment tribunals involving menopause increased by 44% in 2021
Ways businesses can support employees during menopause.
Regular, informal conversations help to facilitate discussions surrounding health, including issues relating to menopause.
Provide training to raise awareness that menopause can present difficulties for some women at work.
Reviewing company policies to ensure they reflect menopause – including sickness and flexible working policies.
Review control of workplace temperature to ensure they meet the needs of individuals.
Menopause Self-Care Package
In collaboration with Dr Claire Mann, Colleague Box has developed the Menopause Self-Care Package containing items to help with some common symptoms of peri-menopause and menopause, including a copy of Surviving The Menopause Ebook.
Often a few simple changes to someone’s working environment can make a difference to someone experiencing menopausal symptoms. The Menopause Self-Care package has been designed using Dr Claire Mann’s personal experience of peri-menopause and a desire to provide greater support for women experiencing menopausal symptoms.
You can view full details of the Menopause Self-Care Package here, with further details about Dr Claire Mann and Change Xtra below
World Menopause Day 18th October 2022.“World Menopause Day is held every year on the 18th of October. The day's purpose is to raise awareness of menopause and the support options available for improving health and wellbeing”. Source: The International Menopause Society (IMS)
What does ChangeXtra do?
We enable and empower through sharing knowledge, experience and education. ChangeXtra offers a range of products and services to support women and their allies. This includes:
Free ebook – ‘Introduction to Surviving the Menopause’
Free online peer support community for women
FREE PausetrackTM app for women to track symptoms of menopause (Launching October 2022)
Books on Amazon
‘Surviving the Menopause’
‘Being a Menopause Ally’
‘Making your workplace Menopause friendly’ (Launching October 2022)
Training workshops:
1-hour webinar/Q&A – ‘Things everyone should know about Menopause’
3-hour interactive workshop ‘Myth Busting the Menopause’
Being a Menopause Ally: online learning module (Launching October 2022)
Consultancy
Advice on implementing a menopause policy
Internal research and training needs analysis
Bespoke training and awareness-raising sessions
How can we contact ChangeXtra?
Book a free 15-minute no commitment conversation and Let’s talk Menopause
Or drop them an email: claire.mann@changeXtra.co.uk
About Colleague Box
Designed to deliver happiness, Colleague Box provides gifting solutions, helping organisations connect with employees, customers, or prospective clients. Gifts are fully branded with your company logo and personalised message, with boxes despatched directly to home or work.
Organisations can choose pre-designed gift ideas or curate their own to suit any occasion, from welcoming new starters to awards evenings, direct mail campaigns, or a simple thank you.
Custom gift portals and address upload templates make multiple recipients a seamless process, whether you’re sending 10 or 10,000 boxes.
Get in touch to discuss your gifting requirements or arrange a visit to our showroom for a brew and some tasty samples!