Menopause Policy

Roselyn House School and The RHISE Service

Menopause policy

This policy has been taken from a model policy provided by NASUWT with additional advice from NEU and NAHT. It has been adapted for the purpose of use at Roselyn House School and The RHISE Service. The employer is KS Education Limited of which the Headteacher, Miss S. Damerall and Deputy Headteacher, Miss K Willacy are the Directors.

This policy is written as a guide for staff in consultation with the staff group and has been agreed. It will be reviewed annually taking into consideration Union and DfE guidance.

It should be noted that people from the non-binary, transgender and intersex
communities may also experience menopausal symptoms. Due to a variety of
factors, the experience of the menopause may be different for those among
these communities. Although the policy refers to women, please consider that
‘people who menstruate’ also require consideration.

Experiences and perceptions of the menopause may also differ in relation to
disability, age, race, religion, sexual orientation or marital/civil partnership
status. It is important to recognise that for many reasons, people’s individual
experiences of the menopause may differ greatly.

The menopause can also affect partners and families too.

Policy statement

KS Education Limited is committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working
environment for all its workers and recognises that women may need
additional consideration, support and adjustments before (perimenopause),
during and after the menopause.

This policy sets out the guidelines for employees on providing the right
support to manage menopausal symptoms at work.

It is estimated that between 75% and 80% of menopausal women are in work
in the UK. It is therefore imperative that workplaces have a workable,
informative and robust policy in place that is fully consistent with UK
legislation.

The menopause is a natural part of every woman’s life, and marks of the end
of her reproductive cycle. For many reasons, it may not be an easy time in a
woman’s life and so it is imperative that workers who require additional
support during this time are treated with understanding, dignity and respect.

The policy acknowledges that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to the
menopause and so it is intended as a support guide for all workers. All
stakeholders agree to work proactively to make adjustments where necessary
to support women experiencing the menopause and to ensure the workplace
does not make their symptoms worse.

Exclusionary or discriminatory practices will not be tolerated.

Legislative compliance

This policy is fully compliant with the following legislation

England, Scotland and Wales

Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974;
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992;
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, GB
Regulations 4;

Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) introduced by the Equality Act
2010 (Eng, Scotland and Wales);
Equality Act 2010.

Aims

The aim of this policy is:

to educate and inform managers about the potential symptoms of the
menopause, and how they can support women at work;
to understand the menopause and related issues, and how they can
affect staff;
to raise a wider awareness and understanding among the workforce;
to outline support and reasonable adjustments that are available;

to create an environment where women feel confident enough to raise
issues about their symptoms and ask for reasonable adjustments and
additional support at work.

Definitions

Perimenopause
The perimenopause is the period in a woman’s life when she starts to
experience hormonal fluctuations and changes to her periods. The average
time for a woman to be perimenopausal is between four to five years. During
this time, periods may become increasingly heavy and irregular, meaning it is
vitally important for a woman experiencing symptoms to be close to toilets and shower facilities. For some women, the symptoms during this time can be
worse than the actual menopause.

Menopause
A woman is described as being menopausal when they have gone 12 months
without a period and when her ovaries are no longer responsive. The average
age for a woman to reach the menopause in the UK is 51. American evidence
suggests that this is different for Asian and black women. An Asian woman
may start her menopause later and a black woman slightly earlier. To date,
there is no UK evidence on this issue.

Post-menopausal
This is the time after menopause has occurred, starting when a woman has
not had a period for 12 consecutive months. The average time for women
experiencing symptoms of the menopause is five years, but many women
experience symptoms for up to ten years and 3% of women will experience
symptoms for the rest of their lives. Post-menopausal women have an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis and managers should be aware of this.

Symptoms of the menopause

Symptoms may include:

Vasomotor Symptoms
*Hot flushes and Night Sweats
*Psychological effects of hormone changes
*Low mood/mood swings
*Poor memory and concentration
*Insomnia
*Loss of libido
*Anxiety/panic attacks

Physical Symptoms
*Headaches
*Fatigue
*Joint aches and pains
*Palpitations
*Formication (creeping skin)
*Insomnia

Sexual Symptoms
*Reduced sex drive
*Painful sex/*vaginal dryness
*Urinary tract infections

*Vaginal irritation
Consequences of oestrogen deficiency
*Obesity, diabetes
*Heart disease
*Osteoporosis/chronic arthritis
*Dementia and cognitive decline
*Cancer
N.B. This is not an exhaustive list.

Workplace support

This policy recognises that there are many workplace factors which can make
working life more difficult for women experiencing the menopause and which
may make symptoms worse. School and college leaders should take into
consideration the concerns listed in Appendix 1.

Appendix 2 will help with the planning of specific adjustments during the
meeting. The adjustments should be shared with the employee before the
meeting.

Line Managers

It is recognised that the menopause is a very personal experience and
different adjustments and levels of support may be needed for different
individuals. Line managers should seek to provide appropriate support and
adjustments when needed to help women deal with issues arising from the
menopause. ‘Management advice’ is provided as Appendix 1 to this policy.

Employees

It is recognised that employees have a responsibility for their health, safety
and welfare but that workplace demands can complicate this. Employees can
expect such things as:

access to toilets;
access to drinking water;
access to natural light;
risk assessments, carried out by a ‘competent’ person; and
regulated temperatures.

The above are ‘standard’ requirements.

Additional help and support

NASUWT
www.nasuwt.org.uk

TUC
www.tuc.org.uk

Menopause matters

www.menopausematters.co.uk

The British Menopause Society

www.thebms.org.uk

NHS menopause pages

www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/symptoms

S.Damerall

June 2023

Appendix 1

Management guidance for informal discussions

Managers should familiarise themselves with the menopause before
conducting a meeting with a member of staff to discuss their situation.

The menopause is a natural part of ageing which usually occurs between 45
and 55 years of age. It occurs as a direct result of a woman’s oestrogen levels
declining. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach menopause is 51.

A woman is officially described as post-menopausal when her ovaries are no
longer working and when she has not had a period for 12 months.

The perimenopause is the period of hormonal change leading up to the
menopause. This is the time when many women start to experience
symptoms. The perimenopause can often last for four to five years, although
for some women it may continue for many more years, or for others last just a
few months. In general, periods usually start to become less frequent over this
time. Sometimes menstrual cycles become shorter, periods may become
heavier or lighter, or women may notice that the odd period is missed until
eventually they stop altogether. Some women report that during the
perimenopause, they experience worse symptoms than the menopause.

Some women experience sudden menopause after surgery, chemotherapy or
radiotherapy.

It is estimated that around one in every 100 women will experience a
premature menopause (before the age of 40).

The menopause affects every woman differently and so there is no ‘one-size-
fits-all’ solution to it.

Some women experience few symptoms while others experience such severe
symptoms that it impacts negatively on both their home and working lives.

Signs and symptoms of the menopause

The following is merely a guide to some of the signs and symptoms women
may experience as part of the menopause. Some women may suffer with
conditions that are exacerbated by the menopause, such as osteoarthritis and
migraine.

Signs and symptoms may include:
Vasomotor symptoms

*Hot flushes and night sweats

Psychological effects of hormone changes
*Low mood/mood swings
*Poor memory and concentration
*Insomnia
*Loss of libido
*Anxiety/panic attacks

Physical Symptoms
*Headaches
*Fatigue
*Joint aches and pains
*Palpitations
*Formication (creeping skin)
*Insomnia
Sexual Symptoms
*Reduced sex drive
*Painful sex/*vaginal dryness
*Urinary tract infections
*Vaginal irritation
Consequences of oestrogen deficiency
*Obesity, diabetes
*Heart disease
*Osteoporosis/chronic arthritis
*Dementia and cognitive decline
*Cancer
N.B. This is not an exhaustive list.

Many women may also find that their symptoms are connected. For example,
sleep disturbance, which is really common during the menopause, may lead
to a whole plethora of other serious conditions.

The length of time that women experience symptoms of the menopause can
vary between women. Again, there is no one answer for all.

Symptoms can begin months or years before a woman’s periods stop.
The perimenopause is usually expected to last around four or five years, but it
can be much shorter or longer. During this time, many women begin to
experience painful, intermittent and heavy periods. As a teacher, it is therefore
important to raise this issue with management if adjustments need to be put in
place, such as having access to a toilet and shower facilities.

According to the NHS, on average, a woman continues to experience
symptoms for around four years after their last period, but around 10% of
women continue to experience symptoms for up to 12 years after their last
period and 3% will suffer for the rest of their lives. With teachers remaining in the classroom well into their sixties, it is imperative that caseworkers are
aware of this and are not afraid to raise it as an issue with women members
seeking help and support for other, seemingly unrelated, concerns.

It is also important to recognise that beyond the menopause, post-menopausal women can be at increased risk of certain conditions due to a decrease in hormones. These include osteoporosis and heart disease.

The British Menopause Society (2016) estimated that 50% of women aged
between 45-65 who had experienced the menopause in the previous ten
years had NOT consulted a healthcare professional about their menopausal
symptoms.

This was despite:

42% of women feeling that their symptoms were worse or much worse
than they expected;
50% of women believed the menopause had impacted on their home
life; and
More than a third believed the menopause had impacted on their work
life.

Many workplace factors can make working life more difficult for women
experiencing the menopause, which may make symptoms worse. School and
college leaders should take into consideration the concerns listed below.

These can include:

lack of suitable gender sensitive risk assessments;
lack of awareness of the menopause;
lack of management training on women’s health issues;

poor ventilation and air quality;
inadequate access to drinking water;
inadequate or non-existent;
toilet/washing facilities;
lack of control of temperature/ light;

lack of appropriate uniforms or personal protective equipment (PPE in
science department);
inflexible working time rules/break times;
inflexible policies which penalise women because of their symptoms;
negative attitudes;
excessive workloads;

workplace stress;
unsympathetic line management/colleagues; and
bullying and harassment.

Line managers

Should an employee request a meeting to discuss concerns of the
menopause, it is recommended that line managers adhere to the following:

Arrange a meeting at a convenient time for both parties;
Allow the employee to be accompanied if they want it. This can be a
trade union representative or a colleague;

Choose a venue that provides privacy and is unlikely to be disturbed;
Allow adequate time to talk;
Encourage the employee to be open and honest. It is difficult to help
when you haven’t got the full picture;
If the employee wishes to speak to another manager, this should be
allowed;
Keep a note of all discussions and agree outcomes and next steps (the
‘Confidential Discussion Record – Menopause’ should be used to
facilitate this);

Agree a follow-up meeting to review the situation.

Confidential Discussion Record – Menopause

Date:

Present:

Staff Details

Name

Job Title

Location

Summary of discussions:

Agreed action points/reasonable adjustments:

Agreed date of review meeting:

Signed (staff)..................................

Signed (manager)............................

Appendix 2- workplace issues/ suggested adjustments

Symptom

Examples of workplace factors which could worsen or interact with symptoms

Suggested adjustments

Daytime
sweats, hot
flushes,
palpitations

Lack of access to rest breaks
or suitable break areas. Hot
flushes and facial redness
may cause women to feel
self-conscious, or the
sensation may affect
concentration or train of
thought.

Be flexible about
additional breaks. Allow
time out and access to
fresh air.
Ensure a quiet area/room
is available.
Ensure cover is available
so
workers can leave their
posts if needed.

Night time
sweats and hot
flushes.
Insomnia or
sleep
disturbance

Rigid start/finish times and
lack of flexible working
options
may increase fatigue at work
due to lack of sleep.

Consider temporary
adjustment of hours to
accommodate any
difficulties.
Allow flexible working.
Provide the option of
alternative tasks/duties.
Make allowance for
potential
additional need for
sickness
absence.
Reassure workers that
they
will not be penalised or
suffer
detriment if they require
adjustments to workload
or
performance
management
targets.

Urinary
problems; for
example,
increased
frequency,
urgency,
and increased
risk of urinary
infections

Lack of access to adequate
toilet facilities may increase
the risk of infection and
cause
distress, embarrassment and an increase in stress levels.
Staff member may need to
access toilet facilities more
frequently, may need to drink more fluids and may feel unwell.

Ensure easy access to
toilet and washroom
facilities.
Allow for more frequent
breaks
during work to go to the
toilet.

Ensure easy access to
supply of cold drinking
water.
Take account of
peripatetic
workers schedules and
allow
them to access facilities
during
their working day.
Make allowances for
potential
additional need for
sickness absence.

Irregular and/or
heavy periods

Lack of access to adequate
toilet facilities may increase
the risk of infection and
cause
distress, embarrassment and
an increase in stress levels.
Staff
member may need to access
toilet and washroom facilities
more frequently.

Ensure easy access to
well maintained toilet and
washroom or shower
facilities.
Allow for more frequent
breaks
in work to go to the toilet/
washroom.
Ensure sanitary products
readily available.
Take account of
peripatetic
workers schedules and
allow
them to access facilities
during
their working day.
Ensure cover is available
so staff can leave their
posts if needed.

Skin irritation,
dryness or
itching

Unsuitable workplace
temperatures
and humidity may increase
skin
irritation, dryness and
itching.
There may be discomfort, an
increased risk of infection
and a
reduction in the barrier
function of skin.

Ensure comfortable
working
temperatures and
humidity.
Ensure easy access to
well maintained toilet and
washroom or shower
facilities.

Muscular
aches and
bone and joint pain

Lifting and moving, as well
as work involving repetitive
movements
Make any necessary
adjustments through
review

joint pains or adopting static postures,
may
be more uncomfortable and
there may be an increased
risk
of injury.

Make any necessary adjustments through review of risk assessments and
work
schedules/tasks and
keep under review.
Consider providing
alternative
lower-risk tasks.
Follow Health and Safety
Executive (HSE)
guidance and
advice on manual
handling and preventing
MSDs (musculoskeletal
disorders).

Headaches

Headaches may be triggered
or
worsened by many
workplace
factors such as artificial
lighting,
poor air quality, exposure
to chemicals, screen work,
workplace stress, poor
posture/
unsuitable workstations,
unsuitable uniforms or
workplace temperatures.

Ensure comfortable
working
temperatures, humidity
and
good air quality.
Ensure access to natural
light
and ability to adjust
artificial
light.
Allow additional rest
breaks.
Ensure a quiet area/room
is
available.
Carry out Display Screen
Equipment (DSE) and
stress risk assessments.

Dry Eyes

Unsuitable workplace
temperatures/humidity, poor
air quality and excessive
screen
work may increase dryness
in the eyes, discomfort, eye
strain and increase the risk
of infection.

Ensure comfortable
working
temperatures, humidity
and
good air quality.
Allow additional breaks
from
screen based work.
Carry out DSE risk
assessments.

Psychological
symptoms, for
example:

Depression
Anxiety
Panic Attacks

Excessive workloads,
unsupportive management
and colleagues, perceived
stigma around the menopause, bullying and harassment and any form of work-related stress may exacerbate symptoms.
Stress can have wide-
ranging negative effects on mental and physical health and wellbeing.
Performance and workplace relationships may be affected.

Ensure that workers will
not be
penalised or suffer
detriment
if they require
adjustments to
workload, tasks or
performance
management targets.
Ensure that managers
understand the
menopause
and are prepared to
discuss any concerns
that staff may have in a
supportive manner.
Ensure managers have a
positive attitude and
understand that they
should offer adjustments
to workload and tasks if
needed.
Allow flexible/home working.
Make allowance for potential additional need for sickness absence.
Ensure that staff are
trained in mental health awareness.
Raise general awareness
of issues around the
menopause so colleagues are more likely to be supportive.
Provide opportunities to
network with colleagues
experiencing similar issues (menopause action and support group).
Ensure a quiet area/room
is available.
Provide access to
counselling

services.

Psychological
symptoms:

Memory
problems
Difficulty
concentrating

Certain tasks may become
more difficult to carry out
temporarily; for example, learning new skills
(may be compounded by
lack of sleep and fatigue),
performance may be affected and work-related
stress may exacerbate these symptoms. Loss of
confidence may result.

Carry out a stress risk
assessment and address
work-related stress
through
implementation of the
HSE’s management standards.
Reassure workers that
they will not be penalised or suffer detriment if they require adjustments to workload or performance
management targets.
Ensure that managers
understand the menopause
and are prepared to
discuss any concerns
that staff may have in a
supportive manner.
Ensure managers have a
positive attitude and
understand that they
should offer adjustments
to workload and tasks if
needed.
Reduce demands if workload identified as an issue.
Provide additional time to
complete tasks if needed, or consider substituting with alternative tasks.
Allow flexible/home
working.
Offer and facilitate
alternative methods of
communicating

tasks and planning of
work to assist memory.
Ensure a quiet area/room
is available.
Provide access to
counselling services.