[SPONSORED CONTENT]
The menopause is an area of health that is growing in terms of its awareness and understanding, particularly within businesses, both large and small.
Even within workforces and households, the appreciation of the impacts that menopausal symptoms can have is much greater than it was just a few years ago.
This is really positive news, as a society we are moving away from the menopause being treated as a taboo subject at home and at work, however, there is still much more that can be done to improve the experiences for individuals and also allow businesses to benefit.
What is the menopause?
Menopause typically affects women between the ages of 45 to 55. Officially the menopause occurs when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels.
However, symptoms of the menopause can occur way before this during a period of time called perimenopause.
Menopause symptoms vary for everyone, but some examples include hot flushes, anxiety, mood swings, brain fog (problems with memory or concentration), irregular periods, difficulty sleeping, headaches or migraines and reduced sex drive.
As well as having physical symptoms, menopause and perimenopause can also have a big emotional impact.
Reduced hormone levels combined with difficulty sleeping can have a knock-on effect on all aspects of life.
Menopause in the workplace
According to the Office for National Statistics almost two thirds of all women are of menopausal age, a very high proportion of our workforce which emphasises the importance for businesses to offer support.
In a report published last year by AXA Health and the Centre for Economics and Business Research, we found that neglect of women’s health in the workplace costs the UK economy £20.2bn each year.
In relation to women’s specific health conditions, of the women surveyed, 36% said that they did not feel supported regarding women’s specific health conditions and a further 14% remained unsure.
This shows there is a big gap for employers to bridge in the support of their female employees.
So, what are the consequences if women are not supported?
By failing to support women experiencing menopausal symptoms, businesses are likely to see increased unhappiness and decreased motivation and productivity among their impacted employees.
This highlights there is not just a moral imperative for businesses to act but also a financial one.
Additionally, guidance by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published in February 2024 suggested if women are severely debilitated by their menopausal symptoms, this may be considered as a disability.
This adds an additional legal obligation onto businesses to support their female employees.
What can businesses do to support women?
To best support their people, businesses should strive to create an open, inclusive and supportive culture regarding the menopause and ensure provision of training for managers and supervisors on how to have sensitive conversations at work.
Developing an open and informed culture surrounding the menopause will help employees to feel comfortable to disclose information about menopausal symptoms if they want to.
Businesses should also review elements of their roles and working environments to ensure that impacted employees have the necessary support and facilities available to them to ensure that they are both comfortable and capable of performing their role to their best.
To do this, businesses can review control over workplace temperature and ventilation, for example provision of desk fans, and provide access to cold drinking water, ensure access to clean and private changing and washing facilities as well as toilets and for customer-focussed or public-facing roles, they should allow breaks to manage symptoms such as severe hot flushes.
How Axa Health can help
At AXA Health we fully understand the importance of support for individuals and businesses with regards to the menopause.
If a member is looking to understand more about their menopause, our experienced health professionals at the 24/7 health support line can be their first port of call.
Our team of nurses, counsellors, and pharmacists all have experience in supporting women during menopause.
If they need specific medical advice, the next step is to speak to a GP.
Our health insurance schemes give them access to our online 24/7 private GP service, AXA Doctor at Hand appointments are with qualified GPs and you can request one who has additional training in women’s health.
They’ll be able to make a diagnosis and recommend a care plan for managing short- and long-term symptoms.
Our large corporate clients also have the option to offer their employees access to health app Peppy.
Enabling them to have a safe space to speak with expert menopause practitioners about any challenges they’re experiencing.
And, with access to trusted information and guidance to put their minds at ease, they’ll focus better on work and at home.
Most women find they can manage with the help of wellbeing support and lifestyle changes, or through the support of their GP. But others may need more dedicated expert support.
If a member experiences complex symptoms that a GP cannot manage, the GP can refer them to our network of British Menopause Society accredited consultant gynaecologists, for an in person or remote appointment.
AXA Health offers specialist menopause support as standard for individual and SME members, when an outpatient option is included in their plan, and to large corporate members if the client has chosen to.