MPs demand ‘menopause leave’ to ‘support and celebrate women’

More support for menopause in the workplace could be on the cards after a committee of MPs called for a ‘menopause leave’ pilot scheme to launch.

A report from the Women and Equalities Committee identified several symptoms that women experience during the menopause, including difficulty sleeping, anxiety and memory problems, which can have a “significant and sometimes debilitating impact” on women.

It added that offering different support in the form of leave could help stop them feeling forced out of employment, reported Sky News.

The committee wants the government to set out a pilot of the scheme with a public sector employer, with plans to publish an evaluation of it within 12 months and a further rollout too.

Caroline Nokes, the committee’s chair and Tory MP, explained: “Menopause is inevitable. The steady haemorrhage of talented women from our workforce, however, is not.

“Stigma, shame and dismissive cultures can, and must, be dismantled. It is imperative that we build workplaces – and a society – which not only supports those going through the menopause but encourages some of the most experienced and skilled workers in our economy to thrive.”

Various recommendations have also been laid out in addition to the pilot, including the appointment of a menopause ambassador.

Their role would be to help introduce model workplace polices, such as how to request reasonable adjustments, how to build a supportive culture and advice on flexible working and sick leave.

The government is being urged to launch a consultation by the end of the year on how to make menopause a protected characteristic, similar to pregnancy and maternity.

In addition, the committee wants it to launch a visible public health campaign detailing the symptoms of the menopause, its impact and how to seek treatment and support in the workplace.

Other current protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 include age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Nokes added that for too long “menopausal women have been mocked and maligned”. She concluded: “It is time that the government seizes the opportunity to enact change. It is time to support, and celebrate, these women.”

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