Menopause Awareness
At work, we should feel safe, supported, and comfortable.
October is Menopause Awareness Month, and the 18th of October is World Menopause Awareness Day. Each year, we use this time to reflect on the policies and processes at Berkeley Scott.
Menopause Support at Berkeley Scott
With a large number of our employees being women, we have to consider menopause and perimenopause. Menopause typically affects 45 – 55 year-olds and can involve a range of symptoms.
As employers, our role isn’t to impose on the medical experiences of our employees, but to offer support and comfort to those who need it.
Our employees are the force that keeps our business operating, but they’re even more than that. They’re our colleagues, our friends and most importantly, they are their own people with their own lives, and their wellbeing is crucial.
Women’s Health Survey
We surveyed our female employees; the survey had over a 53% response rate. The purpose of this survey was to find out more about the experiences and potential struggles our employees are facing in relation to women’s health. Therefore, we asked questions regarding menopause and perimenopause symptoms and their impact and women’s health symptoms and their impact.
The survey found that the most selected issues affecting work were menstrual symptoms, endometriosis and perimenopause. Menopause was also selected but by a lower majority.
Some symptoms of menopause can include Brain fog and difficulty concentrating, which the survey showed were most frequently experienced by our employees, followed by memory difficulty, disrupted sleep and joint or muscle pain.
Symptoms of menopause/perimenopause can have an effect on our day-to-day activities, including our work. The majority of respondents said that the leading effects were fatigue and low energy, as well as concentration and memory. The next highest result showed that the proposed symptoms were either not applicable or had no impact on the employee. Followed by an effect on productivity and confidence.
With the majority of our respondents experiencing some kind of symptom, it’s important we know how supported our employees feel. We found that 70.6% felt supported, but 35.2% were unsure/not comfortable raising an issue with their line manager (especially if their line manager is male).
Providing a Supportive Work Environment at Berkeley Scott
Our proposed action to address this is to appoint a women’s health champion to create a more comfortable and supportive space for these conversations, as well as to train male line managers on awareness and how to support female employees on women’s health-related issues.
We’re confident in supporting our employees and creating a safe, comfortable environment for them. In addition to our Menopause & Women’s Health Policy, this survey will allow us to make changes that will make a difference to our employees.
Every workplace should be taking steps to make its environment the best it can be for its people. We’re proud to continue improving our workplace, listening to our team and creating an environment where everyone feels understood, valued and supported.