Summary
Employers and employees should be aware of new guidance on menopause and the workplace. It explains what the menopause is, its symptoms, the impact it can have at work and the legal obligations that an employer has.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has recently published guidance for employers on menopause and the workplace.
The guidance explains what the menopause is, its symptoms, the impact it can have at work and the legal obligations that an employer has.
What does this mean for Employers?
The guidance is informative only, it is not statutory guidance setting out rules on how Employers should and should not deal with menopausal workers. Employers must aid understanding, promote open conversations and allow managers to identify appropriate support for affected workers to minimise exposure to legal claims.
What does the guidance cover?
The guidance highlights that the menopause may cause a range of physical and/or psychological symptoms and it links to the NHS website which sets out those symptoms in full.
The guidance explains that menopausal symptoms may have a significant impact on women at work. It cites 67% of working women who experienced menopausal symptoms said it had ‘mostly negative’ impact on them at work.
The negative effects of experiencing menopause at work include:
- being less able to concentrate;
- experiencing more stress;
- feeling less patient with clients and colleagues; and
- feeling physically less able to carry out work tasks.
Employers’ legal obligations
The guidance points out that symptoms of the menopause may be treated as a disability in law, which will trigger an employer’s duty to make reasonable adjustments and protect the worker from disability discrimination.
It also highlights that menopausal workers are protected from age and sex discrimination and that risks to their health and safety should be considered in workplace risk assessments.
Contact our Employment Law team
Cunningtons has long been involved with issues of menopause at work, please read our previous article on menopause in the workplace. We are well placed to answer any queries about the issue, both as employers ourselves, and as employment law solicitors.
So if you would like to discuss how this new guidance affects you as an employer or an employee, please get in touch.