Wellbeing of Women launch ‘Menopause Workplace Pledge’ campaign to support women & staff through menopause

Leading women’s health charity, Wellbeing of Women, has today launched its ‘Menopause Workplace Pledge’ campaign, in partnership with HELLO! Magazine and supported by Bupa, calling on all employers to support women and staff going through menopause in the workplace.

In a roundtable event to launch the campaign, The Countess of Wessex, Royal Patron, and Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Chair, spoke about the impact that the menopause can have on women and encouraged all organisations across the country to sign the pledge to support affected employees.

Leading companies such as Bupa, PwC, HarperCollins UK and Santander UK took part in the discussion and representatives shared how each one is taking measures to support staff.

Research has shown that many women struggle to manage menopause symptoms in the workplace.

Three in four women will experience menopause symptoms and one in four will experience severe symptoms, such as anxiety, brain fog, poor concentration, fatigue, hot flushes and irregular and heavy bleeding.

Many women have revealed that they don’t disclose their menopause – or the difficulty they have working because of it – due to embarrassment, stigma, and the fear that they might be discriminated against or stigmatised by their colleagues or customers. 

Speaking about women in the workplace, The Countess of Wessex, said, “Women having to leave the workplace because of the menopause is tragic.”

“We are fabulous in our 40s, and we are even more fabulous in our 50s, 60s and 70s and we need to celebrate that and keep opportunities going for women.”

“Together, we can support the thousands of women out there who form the backbone of our workforce.”

“We cannot let anyone leave the workplace, feeling that they have got to slope off into the shadows.”

“We have to be able to change that.”

Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Wellbeing of Women Chair, added, “In the UK, there are nearly 5 million women working aged between 45-60 years.”

“The majority of these women will go through the menopause, which frequently coincides with the peak of their careers, a time when they are at their most successful and productive.”

“It is encouraging that many employers can and are taking steps to support employees struggling in the workplace. We hope many more will sign our pledge to ensure no woman is left behind.”

“Through supporting women, employers can help to attract and improve retention of staff, ensure a diverse and inclusive workforce, increase productivity, maximise employee wellbeing and address the gender pay gap.”

“When we get it right for women, everyone benefits, both in the workplace and beyond.”

Watch the roundtable event below

October marks Menopause Awareness Month, raising awareness for women who are feeling lost and going through menopause and need support.

Here are WeAreTheCity, we want to offer our support to try and help you navigate through these new challenges. We’ve got a whole host of themed features, opinion pieces, resources, advice articles, events and much more.