Supporting your staff through menopause

Many women working in education find it difficult to deal with the symptoms of menopause – here is how you can support them 

During menopause 77% of women experience one or more symptoms they describe as ‘very difficult’ and 69% say they experience difficulties with anxiety or depression, according to a report on Menopause and the Workplace by the Fawcett Society. In schools three-quarters of the workplace are women, which means menopause can affect all of them at some point in their careers. According to Mayo Clinic, symptoms of menopause can include: 

• irregular periods;
• vaginal dryness;
• hot flashes;
• chills;
• night sweats;
• sleep problems;
• mood changes;
• weight gain and slowed metabolism;
• thinning hair and dry skin;
• loss of breast fullness.

To make sure that staff living with menopause are receiving the appropriate support, schools can take action in the following areas.

• Promote a supportive culture: encourage open communication, participation and encouragement when staff are engaging in discussions about menopause.
• Educate and inform: it is important to make sure all staff members in your school, including members of the senior leadership team, line managers, the governing body and business managers have been educated on the potential symptoms of the menopause, and how they can support affected staff at work.
• Encourage discussions: ensure that staff living with menopausal symptoms feel confident to discuss these issues and to ask for support and any reasonable adjustments that will help them to continue to be successful within their roles.
• Be open to changes: facilitate requests for flexible working where reasonable, using your school’s flexible working policy.
• Provide support and services: this could include giving occupational health referrals for staff affected by, or absent as a result of, menopause, where appropriate, or by offering wellbeing support for staff members that require it. 
• Manage risks: make sure that risk assessments include, or specifically address, menopausal symptoms.
• Check-in regularly: maintain an appraisal process to ensure the suitability of workloads for staff members living with menopause and support this with a capability procedure.