Around 77 per cent of employers say that menopause support should be available to everyone who needs it and should not be limited by seniority or role, according to Peppy.
Peppy found that 57 per cent of HR leaders believe they must address menopause issues in the workplace in order to retain employees. Many employers are prioritising diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) as part of their recruitment and retention efforts, and providing support for those going through menopause is an important component of such programmes.
Peppy CEO Dr Mridula Pore says: “It can be all too easy for organisations to make sweeping generalisations about which employees do and do not need support for menopause. A business needs to function well at all levels and across all areas, so whether an individual works in the post room or the boardroom, they all need and deserve equal support.”
Pore added: “Many employers clearly want to do the right thing in addressing the way they support a diverse workforce. It may be challenging for employers to know who needs support for menopause, and the only way to address this is to have a menopause policy that does not discriminate on any front.”
Peppy also suggests that employees are more likely to seek out employers with a good track record on DE&I policies, even if the policies have no immediate impact on their own working life. Younger non-menopausal women, for example, may observe from afar how an organisation treats its menopausal employees and decide whether they want a long-term future with that employer.
Two-thirds, or 63 per cent, of HR leaders, agree that if they want more women to reach C-suite positions, they must improve menopause support. This is done not only to directly assist those experiencing symptoms and issues but also to attract the next generation of employees who will want to know that the menopause is not a career-ending experience in their chosen workplace.
Pore says: “The last thing businesses need is a talent exodus of their most experienced staff when they start experiencing menopause. This is a time when women have the most to offer and need to be supported to stay in the business – for the benefit of their own career, the business, and also to mentor other members of staff.
“While supporting an individual through the menopause will have a very positive impact on the business itself, it’s also about what DE&I means in practice for all staff. And even when a policy doesn’t impact every single employee, employers must remember that reputations are often won and lost based on how they treat other members of staff. Menopause does not discriminate by seniority or role and nor should employers.”