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The Workplace Health Insights series brings you the latest healthcare trends, interviews with medical experts and specialist insight from Bupa: all designed to keep you and your organisation one step ahead.
For the latest insights on supporting health in the workplace, take a look here.
Supporting multi-generational teams
This is the first decade with four distinct generations in employment and menopausal women are the fastest growing demographic in the workplace.
To fulfil the different needs and expectations of age-diverse teams, employers must adopt a more tailored approach to the health and wellbeing support they provide.
Managing menopause in the workplace is a prime example and Bupa is championing the Menopause Workplace Pledge, which has now been adopted by more than 600 leading employers.
Bupa has seen first-hand how rolling out a menopause plan makes a real difference to attracting talent.
Impact of symptoms
Most women will experience menopause symptoms, such as anxiety, fatigue, loss of concentration, and hot flushes. For some these will be severe enough to impact daily life.
Without support, many women quit their jobs, pass up promotions and reduce their hours.
Almost a million women a year have left the labour market due to menopause symptoms, according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
Employers and line managers can create a workplace culture where women can be open about menopause, offer awareness sessions and initiate conversations about support and treatment.
Bupa data confirms there is a real need for this with many women struggling to access NHS care.
For example, 68% who booked a menopause plan had already sought help from a GP, 42% had consulted their doctor three or more times, and 11% had seen a consultant.
As well as signposting this vital support, line managers should be able to initiate practical workplace changes to ease symptoms.
Resources and self-help
Bupa Women’s Health Clinical Lead Dr Samantha Wild noted that exploring flexible working and helping women to access resources and treatment can make a real difference.
“As line managers are usually the first point of contact for these sorts of conversations, it’s important they have a clear understanding of the challenges women face around menopause,” she said.
“Some people may want to talk about the changes they are experiencing and appreciate a sympathetic listener. For others it can be a sensitive subject, so it’s important that any conversations take place in a private area.”
She added that self-help strategies may improve symptoms, such as a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight and getting more exercise and line managers need to be able to signpost these.
“Many women benefit from hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or talking therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT),” Dr Wild continued.
“And our dedicated menopause helpline, which provides clinical advice from menopause trained nurses 365 days a year, is also a source of support.”
Bupa provides a wealth of resources, including A Guide to Managing Menopause at Work (PDF, 1.0MB), developed with the CIPD.
Our Menopause Conversation Guide (PDF, 0.3MB) offers insights which can help line managers initiate important conversations and help retain talented team members.
This article has been abbreviated by Health & Protection. The full article can be found as part of the Workplace Health Insights series from Bupa, take a look here.