Acas publishes guidance on menopause in the workplace

Gender Equality is an important aspect of D&I and many companies are taking steps to address imbalances in the gender split of their workforce. However, one aspect of gender equality that is often overlooked is the impact of menopause in reducing the number of women in the UK workforce as they move towards the latter part of their careers. The menopause is a natural stage of life which affects around half of the population.

 REC D&I Ambassador, Scarlett Allen-Horton, told the REC that "around 1 million women a year leave the workforce because of menopausal symptoms and not feeling that they're being supported at work. This is something that we really need to be aware of because there is a key talent pool here… [Menopause] is something that isn't talked about in the workplace, isn't supported in the workplace, there isn't a culture around this [in the UK]."

To help address the lack of support available for menopausal women and their employers, Acas has published updated guidance on menopause at work. This guidance covers what employers can do to support staff who are going through or experiencing the effects of the menopause.