Editor’s comment: Managers need to talk about the menopause

Of course, this was said it jest but it did truly get me thinking. Mental health is now front and centre for business following the pandemic but ‘women’s health issues’ as still very much taboo. Earlier this year entertainer Davina McCall fronted a documentary on the subject and made headlines when she confessed that her symptoms reminded her of her years as a drug addict. McCall was angry at the way women are treated and set about the bust the various myths surrounding the topic and especially the negative image of hormone replacement therapy.

But a point that struck home with me was when she said: “This film isn’t just for menopausal women, it’s for their partners, their fathers their brothers and their sons.”

And for me this must include leaders and managers too. Menopause costs $150bn (£109bn)  in global productivity losses and 14 million workdays in the UK each year and contributes to the fact only one in three senior leadership positions in the financial services workforce are held by women.

On the back of World Menopause Day on 18 October some providers recently launched menopausal policy and support frameworks, which can only be positive, but why has it taken a special day to start addressing this? Women over 50 are the fastest-growing demographic in the UK workplace and one in three women have been negatively affected at work due to menopausal symptoms. But did you know women can be perimenopausal from the age of 40 and symptoms can continue for eight to 10 years? While premature menopause and surgical menopause can affect those under 40 too.

Post has also been investigating why so many women have been denied treatment for pregnancy-related injuries after the issue was brought to light by physio-led campaign organisation Pelvic Roar. Historically there hasn’t been cover for women after birth – although issues like incontinence are not always related to birth – and that in men’s health an issue like this is covered in oncology.

This month we will see the final annual gender pay gap reports trickle in, but gender imbalance is much bigger than this and, rather than waiting for the next ‘Day’ to address these matters, insurance firms must start rethinking not only the cover they provide but how they support this half of their workforce. As mentioned in McCall’s documentary if this affected men then the problem would be solved by now.