Today is “World Menopause Day” – a day where we can raise awareness and highlight the support available for our health and wellbeing.  Many companies now have a Menopause Policy in place to assist their female employees.  This is an admirable drive aimed to try and remove the taboo status this issue often attracts, thereby breaking the stigma.  However, many may not realise that the menopause can impact on our colleagues both directly and indirectly.

We have a high ratio of female employees at Maxwell Hodge, in fact around 80%, and are committed to taking the menopause seriously.  Research shows that almost 1 in 5 women envisage that the menopause has a negative impact on management and colleagues’ views of their competence at work.

However, in the same way we would with any other health condition, we at Maxwell Hodge want to support our staff who may be suffering with menopausal symptoms, thus creating a stigma-free environment.  It is vital that woman receive support during this stage of their life, and our Policy is in place to provide genuine help to those that need support now or in the future.  We would hope that our staff feel comfortable enough to talk openly to a member of our team about any concerns they may be experiencing.

Overall, employers have a duty of care to employees for taking menopause seriously at work and by having our Policy in place, this will lead to a greater understanding of the issues, thus mitigating the potential negative impact of symptoms on the individual and the organisation.