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3. Talking with workers

To make sure the right support is available, employers and line managers should invite workers to talk with them privately about how menopause is affecting them at work and what could help.

Employers should make sure they get training for their managers on talking about menopause so they:

know how to have conversations with all workers about menopause
know what support is available to anyone going through menopause
understand their role when it comes to offering support to workers
understand any organisational policies related to menopause
know how menopause relates to the law and discrimination
know that menopause can affect everyone differently and that the support needed can vary from person to person

Managers should also be encouraged to talk about menopause with all workers alongside other equality and diversity and health and wellbeing topics to normalise the topic.

Organising conversations with workers

Individual conversations with workers affected by menopause should always be confidential and held in private where both the manager and worker are comfortable and will not be disturbed.

The manager should:

allow the worker to decide how much information they wish to disclose in the meeting
ask general questions, but let the worker lead the conversation
not ask them if they want to talk about menopause, or suggest what symptoms they might be experiencing
not make any assumptions about the person's symptoms and should consider any needs they have

Managers should respect the person's wishes for privacy and not disclose any information to other colleagues without their permission.

If someone wants information about their menopause symptoms to be shared, the manager should let them decide:

what they want and do not want their colleagues to know
who will be told and who will do the telling

It might be helpful to keep a written record of what has been agreed about confidentiality and the sharing of information.

Why people might not talk about their symptoms

People might not talk about their menopause symptoms at work because they:

feel it's a private or personal matter
feel their symptoms might be embarrassing to share with others
do not know their line manager well enough
are not sure if their line manager will be sympathetic
feel they will not be taken seriously
are worried about confidentiality
think they will be seen to be less able to do their job
are worried that job security or promotion opportunities might be taken away
are worried about outing themselves as transgender, non-binary or someone with variations in sex characteristics (VSC)

Employers should also listen to people's experiences and remember that menopause may affect different people in different ways throughout their lives.

Giving workers the option to talk with someone else

If workers affected by menopause want to, employers should give them the option of talking with someone other than their manager. This can help workers who might not be comfortable with approaching their line manager first to talk about how menopause is affecting them.

The employer should make sure this person has all the necessary knowledge and training to deal with conversations about menopause. They could be, for example a:

member of HR
trade union representative (if the person is a trade union member)
counsellor from the organisation's employee assistance programme (EAP)
menopause or wellbeing champion

Managers should be involved in agreeing any changes, even if the person has an initial conversation with someone else.

Workers who are transgender, non-binary or who have variations in sex characteristics

It might not always be obvious who is experiencing menopause symptoms. It's important for employers to remember that menopause affects most women and other people who have a menstrual cycle.

This can include some people who:

are transgender
have variations in sex characteristics (VSC) – some people might use the terms intersex or differences in sex development (DSD)
are non-binary – someone who's non-binary does not see themselves as exclusively a man or a woman

Employers should support everyone equally and keep conversations confidential and private. A worker might talk about being transgender, non-binary or having variations in sex characteristics. They might not want this to be more widely known.

It might also be a criminal offence to disclose information about a person who has a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC). This is a document that changes a person's sex for legal purposes.

Employers should consider that:

not everyone has hormone treatment – but those who do can experience menopause symptoms when stopping or restarting treatment
transgender men might experience menopause symptoms if their ovaries remain and they're not given hormone therapy
transgender women and women with variations in sex characteristics might experience menopause symptoms if their hormone treatment is interrupted or hormone levels change

Employers should also consider that women with variations in sex characteristics and transgender men might:

experience surgical menopause if their ovaries are removed
not experience menopause symptoms with hormone treatment, but they may experience hormonal disruption

Agreeing to changes with workers

It might be agreed that the employer can make a change at work to help someone going through menopause. If the effects of the symptoms cause a disability, the employer must make reasonable adjustments.

Changes an employer could make to help support someone include:

being flexible where possible over start and finish times to help them manage their symptoms
allowing them to take breaks when needed
providing a private area where they can rest to help manage their symptoms
allowing them to work from home when practical
allowing them time off if they cannot carry on working that day
changing certain duties in their role
where appropriate, letting the person have control over their working environment, for example having a desk next to a window that opens or providing them with a fan

If someone believes a longer term change to their job would help them with their menopause symptoms they could make a flexible working request.

Employers should make sure managers are objective and knowledgeable in discussing, considering and agreeing any changes with workers.

Changes should be agreed in writing and managers should have follow-up conversations with workers to make sure the changes are working for both them and the employer.

The frequency of follow-up conversations might differ from person to person, depending on how their symptoms and needs change. It's important to remember that the changes agreed at work might need to be reviewed as the person goes through the different stages of menopause.