Leading employer organisations have called on the government to appoint a menopause ambassador as part of a series of recommendations in a new report titled ‘Menopause and Employment’.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, the British Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, UK Hospitality, Business in the Community, Andy Briggs the UK government business champion for older workers and the ageing society and CEO of Phoenix Group, all collaborated on the report.
Briggs co-chaired a roundtable of the employer groups with Mims Davies MP. The discussions focused on ensuring policies and measures are in place to help people of all ages enter, stay, and advance in the labour market. The minister specifically asked members to consider menopause and employment as an issue, emphasising the importance of employers providing support and understanding to enable people to have fulfilling working lives.
The report recommends that employers, government, and society appoint a menopause ambassador to represent the interests of people going through the menopause transition on behalf of the government. This role should promote women’s economic contributions, employers’ lost productivity, and government tax revenue, as well as support for all affected populations, including ethnic minorities, the disabled, and LGBTQ people.
It suggests that all stages of menopause become a priority issue in the government’s public policy agenda on work, diversity, and inclusion. It also encourages the development of methodologies for calculating the cost of menopause to individuals, businesses, and the UK economy.
The report also suggests launching a collaborative and government-backed employer-led campaign in collaboration with the menopause ambassador, covering several initiatives to normalise conversations about menopause and provide practical support to women transitioning through menopause. It also advises money and pensions services, consumer money advice and support organisations to include the impact and considerations of menopause.
The report has been presented to the minister for employment and is awaiting a response from the government in the coming months.
Briggs says: “There is a very clear business case for supporting women to feel that they are valued in the workplace for longer, and in ensuring that they can adapt how they work as they get older. Dropping out of the workplace early due to factors such as menopause or caring responsibilities can have a significant impact on women’s financial futures. The government needs to embrace the recommendations outlined in this report and ensure they are built into all workplaces. Likewise, employers need to enable conversations about menopause in the workplace to help break down any taboos and normalise this important issue.
“At Phoenix Group, we are already taking steps to encourage open discussions with an ongoing menopause awareness campaign for colleagues, dedicated training for our existing Wellbeing Champions and signposting colleagues to our existing support packages. We will continue to look for further ways to support our colleagues, utilising the recommendations in the report and sharing our learnings and best practice with others.”
