We’re delighted to announce Progeny has launched a new Menopause Support Policy for employees. This forms our first step in normalising the menopause being discussed at work and aims to encourage open and honest discussions amongst team members and line managers, regardless of age or gender.
We want to create a menopause-friendly working environment where our team members feel comfortable asking for the support they need, to help manage the impact of the menopause at work.
Almost a quarter of women are leaving their jobs because of the menopause.
A recent survey conducted by Benenden Health, published on World Menopause Day (18th October 2021) covered 2,000 employees, so statistically speaking, the 23% we’re talking about here having experienced menopausal ill health and left their jobs totals a staggering 460 women!
In addition, a poll conducted by menopause expert Dr Louise Newson found that almost all the women asked (99%) felt their perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms had resulted in a negative impact on their careers.
The message here is clear – we need to start talking about the menopause in the workplace.
At Progeny, we’re committed to turning the tables on menopause being an unspoken topic.
All women (51% of the population) are affected by menopause and around 5 million women of ‘menopausal age’ are in the workplace – so why is menopause still considered a ‘taboo’ subject? Firstly, according to Talking Menopause, 77% of women did not realise their symptoms were actually connected to the menopause and our aim is to help change this by playing our part in educating team members about this natural life stage. We also want to empower people to be able share their experiences with others and to feel confident to talk to their managers so that we can better support them at work.
Alongside launching our new Menopause Support Policy, we have therefore facilitated awareness raising sessions for team members, enabling us all to be better educated on the menopause and perimenopause, where the body starts to change in the build up to the menopause, such as:
- How every single part of the body is impacted by the menopause;
- How there isn’t really any such thing as ‘menopausal age’; and
- The huge range of symptoms.
We all think of hot flushes as being an obvious symptom of the menopause, but there are over 30 typical symptoms, many that are not so obviously linked, including anxiety, ‘brain fog’, difficulty concentrating and fatigue. With most women experiencing symptoms of some form, we are working hard to increase understanding across Progeny of the impact menopause can have at work and take action to mitigate this impact, whether through temporary adjustments, such as flexibility in working hours and environment, accessing external services or just simply being there for a chat.
We’ve also designed training resources for managers to guide them through this essential topic and help support their team members who are affected by menopausal symptoms. We are committed to not just supporting but enhancing the health and wellbeing of our people and we’re proud to have taken another step towards helping our people bring their best selves to work.
