A lack of support for women going through the menopause in the workplace is driving female workers out of their jobs and prompting the UK economy to “haemorrhage talent”, MPs warned in a damning new report.
The research, carried out by the Women and Equalities Committee in the Commons, suggested employers’ dearth of provision for menopausal women will have repercussions on the gender pay and pension gaps, as well as the amount of women taking up senior leadership roles.
MPs called for a menopause ambassador to be appointed in an attempt to stop the high numbers of #women leaving the workplace.
The report also urged the government to overhaul the Equality Act so menopause is established as a protected characteristic, as well as including a responsibility for workplaces to deliver “reasonable adjustments” for workers grappling with menopause.
The majority of the 3.4 million women between 50 and 64 in the UK will be experiencing symptoms of the menopause – ranging from heart palpitations to hot flushes, vaginal pain, anxiety and depression.
Caroline Nokes, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, said: “Menopause is inevitable. The steady haemorrhage of talented women from our workforce, however, is not. Stigma, shame and dismissive cultures can, and must, be dismantled.
“It is imperative that we build workplaces – and a society – which not only supports those going through the menopause but encourages some of the most experienced and skilled workers in our economy to thrive.
“The omission of menopause as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act is no longer tenable, given that 51 per cent of the population will experience menopause.”
The Conservative MP warned “menopausal women have been mocked and maligned for too long” as she called for the government to grab “the opportunity to enact change”.
“Too many women are dismissed when coming forward with symptoms and too many women are unable to access the care and medication they need,” Ms Nokes said.
A recent survey by the Fawcett Society, a gender equality charity, and Channel 4, discovered one in 10 women in the UK have left their jobs due to suffering menopausal symptoms. Researchers polled 4,000 women aged between 45 and 55.
The latest report by MPs also warned women are up against major obstacles when seeking to get their first diagnosis when going through menopause or perimenopause. MPs suggested women have an “unacceptable” postcode lottery to contend with as they demanded there is a specialist menopause service in all Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG).
MPs called for ministers to eradicate dual prescription charges for progesterone and oestrogen as part of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – arguing it should be substituted with only one fee.
Polling of over 2,000 women commissioned by the committee of cross-party MPs, found 67 per cent warned of “a loss of confidence” as a direct consequence of suffering from menopausal symptoms, while seven in 10 cited “increased stress”.
However, only around one in ten of those polled requested any changes to the way they were working from their employer.
Carolyn Harris, a Labour MP who chairs the parliamentary group which specialises in menopause, told The Independent: “This report is both timely and important.
“The committee has produced an excellent report reflective of the current situation faced by many women today. The balancing act of coping with symptoms and working can be overwhelming.
“This report accurately points out that keeping women in work need not be a challenge. Common sense and respect for women would solve many of the problems that menopausal women currently are experiencing.”
