The Importance of Menopause Policy: Supporting Women's Well-being in the Workplace

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Menopause is gaining well-deserved attention in the workplace. As a result, we’re seeing an increasing number of forward-thinking employers around the world adopting menopause policies or guidance documents.

This article explores different aspects of menopause policy, including the global landscape, how to create an effective policy to suit your organisation, and the potential benefits it offers to both women and organisations.

What is a Menopause Policy?

It communicates clear expectations and boundaries around employee behaviour and workplace procedures, and it also provides a safeguard against risk.

A menopause policy is a statement that outlines an organisation’s position, intent, practices and procedures to address the unique needs and challenges faced by women going through menopause. It communicates clear expectations and boundaries around employee behaviour and workplace procedures, and it also provides a safeguard against risk.

Menopause is a natural phase in a woman's life that brings with it a plethora of physical, emotional, and cognitive changes. Yet, it remains largely unaddressed in many workplaces, which leads to significant challenges for women. Recognising the importance of menopause policy is crucial in order to support women's well-being and ensure gender equality in the workplace.

With increasing recognition of the profound impact menopause can have on women's health and well-being, many policymakers and organisations are realising the importance of creating an environment that allows women to navigate this transition with dignity and support.

The Global Menopause Policy Landscape

Do you need to create a menopause policy? The changing global landscape suggests so, but we must be thoughtful about how we go about it. Here’s why.

Initially, policies were created by pioneering organisations. Now, more formal directives are being proposed to support menopause at work. Here’s a potted history of global initiatives.

In 2019, the UK Government established a Menopause Taskforce to consider menopause as a cross-cutting policy issue involving multiple government departments and external experts.

In that same year, five trailblazing corporations including Vodafone, Diageo, Aviva, Santander, and Channel 4 led the way with menopause leave and/or workplace adjustments, after recognising the high potential costs of menopausal symptoms driving resignations.

More recently (2024), the UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission provided guidance to help employers navigate their legal obligations around menopause under the Equality Act and health and safety legislation.

Now, companies across the world in Spain, Italy, Germany, South Africa and the US are considering how best to approach menopause in their countries. In many cases, the international satellite offices of UK-based companies are taking the lead.

In Australia, Senator Larissa Waters called for a Senate Enquiry into menopause and its impacts in late 2023. The enquiry will likely recommend mandating flexible working conditions and reasonable workplace adjustments for menopausal employees when it reports in September 2024.

Creating a policy that recognises the unique needs of menopausal people seems like a logical step to make sure that organisations are compliant with emerging legislation, directives and codes of practice.

Involving representative employees in the policy-making process leads to a more robust and tailored policy that demonstrates your commitment to a more supportive work environment overall.

How to Create an Effective Menopause Policy: The Three P’s

At Sage Women’s Health, we advise our clients to avoid getting templates off the internet because they don’t consider the unique needs and views of your workplace. Instead, we recommend taking a ‘three P’s approach’ to developing a menopause policy.

Partnership

An effective menopause policy is developed using a co-design approach. By involving representative employees in the policy-making process, you'll not only create a more robust and tailored policy but also demonstrate your commitment to addressing menopause-related concerns in the workplace. This approach can lead to greater employee satisfaction, improved retention, and a more supportive work environment overall.

Positioning

In our experience at Sage Women’s Health, not every organisation (or workforce) wants to develop a policy specific to menopause as a stand-alone concern. This is reinforced by Professor Marian Baird, AO Professor of Gender and Employment Relations, who was quoted in 2021 by the University of Sydney as saying:

“Menstrual leave can be a polarising issue for organisations and feminists alike. Many argue such policies can exacerbate gender discrimination and reinforce harmful stereotypes that women are physically weak and less capable while menstruating.

We shouldn’t write off a policy solution such as menstrual and menopause leave but it does need to be designed very carefully and in an inclusive way. Rather than dismissing the policy, we need to have a respectful and open debate about how women’s reproductive health needs can be accommodated in the workplace.”

In other words, menopause may not be the star of the show but the relevant considerations can be woven into another policy areas such as diversity and inclusion, work health and safety, ageing workforce or health and wellbeing.

As an illustration of this, the Australian government’s 2020 - 2030 National Women's Health Strategy indicates that both menopause considerations and workforce participation for older women fit under the banner of healthy ageing.

Provisions

An effective workplace menopause policy should include key provisions like paid menopause leave, flexible schedules, environmental controls like temperature and ventilation, access to occupational health support, anti-discrimination guidelines, manager training on having sensitive menopause conversations, and general awareness education for all staff.

The Benefits for Employers

Formal menopause policies are also a first step to ensuring compliance with anti-discrimination laws and predicted mandates (in Australia), by providing clear workplace guidelines and processes around preventing bias based on sex, age or disability status related to menopause.

Beyond being the right thing to do, experts argue that having a robust menopause policy benefits employers through increased productivity, engagement, and retention of experienced staff who might otherwise resign due to untreated symptoms.

Australian research estimates the annual cost of women exiting the workforce early because of menopause is around $10 billion for organisations per year – a figure that could be dramatically reduced through relatively inexpensive policy measures.

Formal menopause policies are also a first step to ensuring compliance with anti-discrimination laws and predicted mandates (in Australia), by providing clear workplace guidelines and processes around preventing bias based on sex, age or disability status related to menopause.

The Benefits for Employees

A formal menopause policy offers several benefits for employees going through this transition.

The policy firstly demonstrates an organisation's commitment to an inclusive culture that values and supports employees through all life stages.

When reasonable adjustments are implemented, employees can more effectively manage disruptive menopausal symptoms without fear of stigma or repercussions. The flow-on effect is improved productivity and lower absenteeism.

Menopause support also fosters a positive workplace environment where employees feel understood and empowered. There is nothing like being acknowledged - that boosts morale, engagement and retention of valuable experienced talent that might otherwise resign due to menopause.

The Future Super Case Study

One company paving the way is ethical investment fund Future Super, which implemented a pioneering menopause and menstrual leave policy in 2020 providing all employees with 6 additional paid days off annually. According to HR advisor Khi Prasser, while the extra leave has been used, the total number of days taken has been relatively low at around 26 across the company. However, Prasser states the positive impact on employee sentiment, engagement, loyalty, motivation, and commitment has been "priceless."

By openly acknowledging menopause and menstruation as natural processes rather than illnesses or taboos, Future Super aims to create an inclusive environment where women can thrive at any age or life stage. They've open-sourced their policy in hopes of driving meaningful change in retaining valuable female talent that might otherwise be lost due to a lack of menopause support.

As more women feel empowered to speak openly about their menopause experiences in the workplace, the demand for well-crafted menopause policies will likely accelerate. Employers have an opportunity to get ahead of this trend by prioritising menopause as a key aspect of supporting women's health and career transitions – a vital step towards achieving true gender equity and retaining top talent through all life stages.

Summary

Menopause policies are on the rise. These policies are designed to make work and life easier during the menopause transition, to minimise business losses, and to comply with existing and emerging legislation.

At Sage, we recognise the importance of consulting your workforce to develop policies, guidance and initiatives that meet the needs and wants of your employees. In that sense, menopause doesn’t have to be the star of the show - the relevant considerations can be featured in other policies related to health, wellbeing, ageing, equity or safety - whatever is most relevant to your team.

In any case, it’s a win-win to acknowledge specific health challenges like those experienced during menopause.

References

ABC News (2023) Menopause policies are being adopted in workplaces. Is Australia ready for 'the change'? [Online]. Available at: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-18/menopause-womens-health-policy-in-workplaces/102976708 (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (2024) Let's talk about the M word [Online]. Available at: https://www.superannuation.asn.au/lets-talk-about-the-m-word/ (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

Australasian Menopause Society (2023) Menopause and the workplace [Online]. Available at: https://www.menopause.org.au/health-info/fact-sheets/menopause-and-the-workplace (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

Future Group (2024) WGEA Future Group Statement [Online]. Available at: https://futuregroup.com.au/stories/wgea-future-group-statement (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

Future Super (2024) Menstrual and Menopause Leave Policy [Online]. Available at: https://www.fsunion.org.au/ContentBuddyDownload.aspx?DocumentVersionKey=bdef2237-de1a-492a-8321-4d0c9ce58a0f (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

Great Place to Work (2024) Support Menopausal Women in the Workplace [Online]. Available at: https://www.greatplacetowork.com/resources/blog/support-menopausal-women-workplace (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

HRLeader (2024) Adjustments employers can make to retain women workers [Online]. Available at: https://www.hrleader.com.au/business/25150-adjustments-employers-can-make-to-retain-women-worker (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

Maven Clinic (2024) Menopause in the Workplace: An Overlooked Need for Your Employees [Online]. Available at: https://www.mavenclinic.com/post/menopause-in-the-workplace-an-overlooked-need-for-your-employees (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

Menopause in the Workplace (2024) The Benefits [Online]. Available at: https://menopauseintheworkplace.co.uk/the-benefits/ (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

NSW Government (2023) Menopause in the workplace [Online]. Available at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/toolkits-and-resources/perimenopause-and-menopause-toolkit/menopause-workplace (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

Ogletree Deakins (2024) Options for Menopause Benefits for Employees [Online]. Available at: https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/options-for-menopause-benefits-for-employees/ (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

Women's Health East (2024) How to become a menopause-friendly workplace [Online]. Available at: https://whe.org.au/how-to-become-a-menopause-friendly-workplace/ (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

University of Sydney, 2021. Why menstrual leave is a hot-button workplace issue. [online] Available at: <https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2021/06/02/why-menstrual-leave-is-a-hot-button-workplace-issue.html> [Accessed 24 July 2024].

Victorian Women's Trust (2024) Menstrual and Menopause Wellbeing Policy [Online]. Available at: https://www.vwt.org.au/menstrual-and-menopause-wellbeing-policy/ (Accessed: 14 June 2024).

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