Menopause: NHS England to offer flexible working as more women “turn their back on their career”

NHS England has announced flexible working for women approaching menopause in an effort to support and retain staff.

Flexible breaks, working from home and shorter hours could all be offered to women on the NHS who are struggling with menopause and perimenopause symptoms.

The NHS England chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, has issued national NHS guidance on menopause and urged other employers to follow suit to help “break the stigma”.

The NHS is the biggest employer of women in UK, with a workforce that comprises 77 per cent women. Up to 260,000, making up a fifth of its workforce, could be approaching or going through menopause.

“Menopause is not a health condition, it’s a stage of life, and I want all women facing this transition in the NHS to have access to the right support to stay in and thrive at work,” Pritchard told the Telegraph.

“Women approaching or going through menopause should not have to put up with feeling uncomfortable at work, or feel any shame in talking about a transition which is simply a part of life.

“Simple steps like flexible working patterns, fans to help make temperatures more comfortable, cooler uniforms, and staff training can make a big difference and I want to see this happening right across the board.”

Kathy Abernethy, director of menopause at the digital health app Peppy, said: “An increasing number of organisations are looking to improve the menopause support they offer their employees, this can only be a good thing.

“Improvements in the awareness of the support that’s available, educating employers on how to improve the way they look after their staff and building a culture where employees feel able to seek help are all important factors in ensuring people get the support they need.

“We’ve been delighted to see the number of organisations embracing this approach, who see the value to both their employees and the business in offering gender-specific support, including for menopause. This is the future and more companies will follow.”

A study from the Fawcett Society has found around one in ten women end up being forced out of work because of a lack of menopause support from their employer.

“Menopausal people are the fasted growing demographic in the workplace, but they are leaving at an alarming rate because they are unable to cope with some of the debilitating symptoms crippling their confidence” said Kim Palmer, founder of the hypnotherapy-based app Clementine.

“We are seeing more and more solutions to help alleviate some of these symptoms, but in the workplace many women are not getting the help they need because they don’t feel like they can speak up.”

Many women continue working through their menopause. However, as many as 45 per cent feel that menopausal symptoms negatively impact their work.

The British Menopause Society has brought together resources to help both employers and employees and raise awareness of the impact of menopause on women’s careers and wellbeing.

“We’ve heard women who have been struggling, finally get the help they need and say that it was life changing,” said Palmer.

“It’s a no brainer, win, win, win for the whole of society.”