Opinion
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OpinionSarah Tahamtani: Advice on menopause as a potential disability
Over the years, menopause has often been stigmatised and seen as a taboo both in and out of the workplace, leading to many women facing discrimination. This group represents a significant proportion of the workforce and attention needs to be paid. While there has been progress, more can still be ...
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OpinionSally Hulston: EHRC guidance on menopause in the workplace
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has published new guidance on menopause in the workplace and set out employers’ legal obligations. The guidance reasserts the fact that women experiencing menopausal symptoms, particularly in severe cases, have certain protections under the Equality Act 2010.While the menopause is not itself a ...
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OpinionSarah Bogues: How to become a fertility-friendly employer
Employers play a critical role in the fertility journey of their employees. When employers get it right, the loyalty they can cultivate among their staff is immense. As the Fertility Treatment (Employment Rights) Bill makes its way through Parliament, it is an opportune time for employers to reassess their approach ...
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OpinionAnna Schiavetta: Supporting menopause in the workplace
There remains a considerable lack of awareness or understanding of menopause. With menopausal women constituting the fastest-growing demographic in today’s workforce, it is fundamental for employers to be aware of the ways they can support their employees who are going through the menopause. There are crucial considerations for employers and ...
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OpinionAnna Dabek: Creating a menopause friendly workplace for womens’ wellbeing
More women are citing menopause as a reason for claims of discrimination or unfair dismissal at tribunal. The number of cases which did so increased by 44% in 2021.Menopause is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. That said, over the last couple of years, women have brought ...
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OpinionJenny Arrowsmith: The growing issue of menopause in the workplace
HM Courts and Tribunal Service’s June 2023 data revealed an increasing number of employment tribunal cases citing menopause as a contributing factor. There has been a steady rise in cases over the past few years. In 2017, there were five cases, increasing to six in 2018 and seven in 2019. ...
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OpinionAmanda Trewhella: Supporting employees with menstrual health and menopause transition
Women’s health, and in particular the menopause transition, is a topical issue that has finally received significant coverage in the media during the last year or so.In the UK there are currently no legal regulations specifically requiring employers to provide support to people affected by menstruation issues or the menopause. ...
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OpinionKathy Abernethy: The correlation between menopause and stress in the workplace
April marks the start of Spring, but did you know that April is also stress awareness month? For employers, this is an important annual reminder of the modern-day stress epidemic, its causes and cures. Now is the time to check in on your own wellbeing, as well as your ...
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OpinionPaula Kathrens: How can employers support staff with the menopause?
The government's announcement in January this year that menopause would not become a new protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 was very disappointing for those who had campaigned for change. The government's view is that the existing protected characteristics of sex, age and disability already provide protection against discrimination ...
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OpinionEmma Clark: Government responds to the Women and Equalities Committee’s menopause recommendations
The government’s response to the Women and Equalities Committee’s menopause recommendations is not only greatly disappointing, but also a huge failure in supporting women in mid-life. Women and menopausal people do not feel supported in the workplace when going through this transition, therefore negatively impacting their work.The lack of direct ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Does government need to rethink its stance on menopause support?
On Wednesday, the government faced criticism for its rejection of a number of measures put forward by the Women and Equalities Commission in July last year to support women in the workplace experiencing menopause.Specifically, in its response to the report Menopause and the workplace, the government rejected a proposal to ...
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OpinionLovewell's logic: Supporting employees' fertility journey
Next week (31 October to 4 November) marks National Fertility Awareness Week. Fertility and trying to conceive often remains a hidden topic, particularly in the workplace, with many employees choosing to keep their journey to themselves. Yet, with fertility issues now facing more than 3.5 million people in the UK, ...
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OpinionSyma Spanjers: What support should employers provide for menopause in the workplace?
There is growing momentum among employers to support employees affected by the menopause in the workplace.In July 2022, the government produced its response to the Independent report on menopause and the workplace. For employers, the key recommendations include promoting open conversations and training line managers to recognise symptoms of the ...
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OpinionSusan Mayall: How to consider HRT and menopause in the workplace
At Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers, which has three offices across the Manchester area, we announced that we will pay for any hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medication needed by staff from April. We have also developed a menopause policy to share across the firm, including training all teams on understanding ...
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OpinionMichelle Last: Supporting employees through fertility treatment in the workplace
Employees will often face physical and mental issues associated with their fertility journey, which can impact workplace performance, conduct, relationships and job satisfaction. How can employers support employees receiving fertility treatment?Having a written policy dealing with potential fertility issues in the workplace undoubtedly gives an employer the opportunity to show ...
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OpinionEmma Clark: Will there be more menopause-related employment tribunal hearings?
Recent analysis of figures from the HM Courts and Tribunals Service showed that the menopause was cited in five employment tribunal cases in the last nine months of 2018. That rose to 10 cases in the first six months of 2021.While there has been a rise in claims which refer ...
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OpinionEmma Clark: Breaking the staff menopause taboo
All women will experience the menopause at some point during their life. It can also impact both trans and non-binary people who may not identify as female. Most of those who experience the menopause will do so between the ages of 45 and 55, and between 75% and 80% of ...
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OpinionJulie Morris and Michelle Last: Should fertility support be a statutory right?
The number of people undergoing fertility treatment in the UK increases steadily each year. In 2019, more than 53,000 patients underwent around 69,000 fertility treatments. While we await the latest data, this upward trend means it is increasingly likely that employers will be faced with requests for work absences from ...
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OpinionAndrew Crudge: Should the menopause be included in the Equality Act?
There is a strong case to add the menopause as a specific protected characteristic under the Equality Act. As it stands, where an employer discriminates against an employee because of issues relating to the menopause, the employee may possibly have grounds to bring a claim for sex, disability or perhaps ...
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OpinionDr Vanessa Beck: There is still a long way to go to normalise menopause conversations in the workplace
Menopause in the workplace has become a much more common subject of public discussion, but what has not yet been established is whether this makes any difference to individuals and their workplaces. Drawing on three surveys conducted with the general public between June and July 2018 as a baseline survey; ...