The UK workforce is ageing. People want and need to work longer shifts and employers are more dependent on an older workforce. For women this is particularly true – they have been the major drivers of growth in the older workforce over the last decade. In this way, a new Menopause in the Workplace Toolkit is also available to help employers support their staff.
Many women now return to work after childbirth and the reform of the pension system has extended women’s working lives. There are now five million women over 50 in the workplace. Many will also be going through their menopause on their return.
Employers are now understanding why they must support staff during their menopause. By offering a helping hand, they can retain valuable knowledge, skills and experience within a key workplace demographic. The experience of these leading employers has shown that often simple actions, such as education and awareness-raising, can make a real difference.
The Menopause in the Workplace Toolkit has been produced by Business in the Community (BITC) in collaboration with The Open University, University of Bristol and De Montfort University.
The Menopause Toolkit is available to all during October 2021.
It provides insight on how the menopause impacts on women in the workplace and information on:
- reducing business costs
- what employers can do to help
- additional resources
See: Menopause in the Workplace Toolkit – Business in the Community (bitc.org.uk)