Imagine feeling like your head is full of thick fog – it’s fuzzy and disorientating. When you try to finish the sentence you started, you’ve forgotten the word you were looking for. You rack your brains, but you just can’t remember. You’re frustrated and irritated at how confused you feel. You’re exhausted too – but every time you drop off to sleep, you wake up overheating, in a loop that continues through the night. Tired and aching, you’re back at work facing 101 questions from your colleagues in a room where the heating is on high. You’re trying to listen to a patient, but you feel like you’re on fire. There’s no relief from the overwhelming symptoms, and you’re finding your patience wears thin quickly when you wish it wouldn’t. You don’t mean to snap, but you feel like you’re going mad! This is how the menopause can make a person feel.

While recent increased media coverage of the effects of the menopause has broken down some barriers, it remains a subject that’s misunderstood, and one that’s often not afforded enough consideration in the workplace.

While some women will glide through without any problems, a survey by the CIPD found that around 6 out of 10 women experience symptoms of the menopause that impact negatively on their working life. And this isn’t exclusive to a narrow age bracket – in fact, women in their 30s and 40s, through to those older than 50, are reporting perimenopausal issues and symptoms. Within a primary care environment, it’s estimated that around 75% of the workforce are female, so we must consider that people we’re working with, and managing, may need tailored support.

What is the menopause?

If you’re managing a team and you have no direct experience of the menopause yourself, it’s useful to understand what it is, what happens, and why.

The menopause is defined as when a female had her last menstrual period 12 months previously and can no longer become naturally pregnant. This is as a result of changes in the levels and balance of hormones. Symptoms can begin up to 10 years before the periods stop, and this time is known as being perimenopausal.

While experiences of the menopause will vary widely from person to person, most people report that they struggle with a combination of some of the following:

Mental health:

• Mood changes
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• Memory disturbance
• Difficulty concentrating or “brain fog”

Physical symptoms:

• Hot flushes which can cause dizziness, sickness and irritability
• Disrupted sleep which can lead to fatigue and irritability in the daytime
• Palpitations
• Increased headaches and migraines
• Muscle aches and pains
• Skin complaints
• Recurrent urinary tract infections

The severity and duration of symptoms can vary in individuals. Some will choose to opt for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to alleviate symptoms and to replace the hormones that are missing. Again, the success of this therapy will vary from person to person – some may find very little relief or, in fact, symptoms may become worse, whereas others find it’s a big help. A holistic approach is increasingly recommended by professionals, combining diet, exercise and lifestyle changes, which can also have overall, long-term health benefits.

It’s little wonder, given the wide range of symptoms described above, that the menopause can be a battle for some women.

Supporting your team

If you have team members who are finding the menopause a struggle, how can you support them? And how do you manage a team who are finding it challenging to deal with a colleague who’s behaving differently due to menopausal changes?

For employers, this is an area that’s currently under the spotlight, with menopause-related tribunal claims tripling in the last three years.

At present, the menopause is not a specific protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010; however, if an employee is put at a disadvantage or treated less favourably because of their menopause symptoms, this could be construed as discrimination related to a protected characteristic (age, disability, gender reassignment or sex).

You may recall the case of Rooney V Leicester City Council where a social worker experienced severe perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms; you can read more in our HR Alerts [PLUS]. The case demonstrates that an employer can be open to constructive or unfair dismissal, discrimination, and harassment claims if they’re not sufficiently aware of the impact of the menopause on their team and are not supporting their employees who need help.

What can you do practically as a manager?

Your aim as a manager is to nurture an inclusive and supportive environment where your team can feel they’re able to approach you to discuss symptoms in confidence. For them to be able to do this, you, as a manager, must also feel equipped to provide guidance and support.

A menopause policy for your practice is essential. This will set out your approach and your commitment, as well as the practical arrangements of risk assessments and absence management. The latest version of the Menopause in the Workplace Policy [PLUS] has now been reviewed and updated in conjunction with Pride in Practice, to ensure your policy is inclusive for trans and transitioning team members.

Consider the training needs of yourself and your team. Do you feel sufficiently knowledgeable to support your team? How do you feel you’d manage if you had an employee suffering from complex, debilitating symptoms?

Practice Index now offers two informative, expert-led courses to give you the confidence to ensure you can manage the menopause in the workplace in line with current guidance. You can book Menopause Essentials for Managers here.

The second course, Menopause Awareness, will benefit your entire team, including those going through the menopause and those people who work in a team with them. The session will provide an understanding of how the menopause affects individuals at work and at home, offering delegates the chance to learn practical steps that can be used to support their co-workers.