DEALING WITH MENOPAUSE IN THE WORKPLACE
There is much talk at the moment about dealing with the menopause in the workplace. With this in mind we thought we would delicately try to explore what this may mean for us as retailers.
Legally there is not much around this, employees are not allowed specific time off during the menopause or to cope with menopausal symptoms. However, it is possible for a menopausal or perimenopausal employee to be considered as having a disability under the Equality Act 2010.
For those that do not understand or cannot relate it may be worth noting that the most commonly reported difficulties that menopausal women report at work include poor concentration, tiredness, poor memory, feeling low/depressed and lowered confidence. Problematic hot flushes at work have also been linked to women having a higher intention to leave the workforce, something we definitely don’t want.
If someone is suffering, they can request reasonable adjustments be made within store to help manage their menopausal symptoms, such as: flexible working, requesting a different uniform if they are experiencing hot flushes or simply opening a window or asking for a fan behind the till.
I guess much of this is actually common sense, and I suspect that as employers in our sector that our relationship with staff is one that has always been one of understanding and support, but perhaps a gentle reminder of what we can do.
For more help and support, please see the following link.