Channel 4 menopause policy

This sort of employment policy was mooted at the Labour party conference this year and I started a thread about employers helping their employees to manage working through the menopause, making their lives at work a little easier and perhaps leading to less days taken as sick leave.

The ideas did not go down well at all with a number of gransnetters. The prevailing mood seemed to be that is they themselves had struggled through then they would be damned if anyone else should have any extra consideration from their employer.

I agree with you and with Channel 4, and I believe that policies such as these are of benefit to both employers and employees.

Well done to C4 and all the other companies and organisations who are taking these proactive and foreword thinking steps to encourage women to stay as productive as possible in the workplace for as long as possible.

My daughter used to work for Channel 4 and now regrets that she left as she applauds this move. I am ambivalent about this....not sure why.

Oh for goodness sake,menopause is not a life threatening illness. Uncomfortable maybe but in no way life threatening. Why do so many people need so much attention for a natural body process. Maybe our hospitals wouldn't be so overcrowded of people stopped running to hospital with minor complaints and natural occurrences.

Oh for goodness sake - read the policy and point out exactly where it says anything about ‘life threatening‘’.

This is about recognising that some women suffer a great deal from conditions related to the menopause. This is about making reasonable adjustments to enable women to continue working productively for a long as possible.

Nipsmun, Ive had a damn sight more than an 'uncomfortable' menopause, effects from which Im still suffering. We are not all sailing through it with a few hot flushes. Mine was completely debilitating mentally and physically. I could not just go on HRT due to health issues. Have a little thought for women like myself whose debilitating symptoms go on for years. I would have welcomed a more understanding attitude from the workplace (some hope) and I think this is a good idea. Moreso for the next generation in my family, who I sincerely hope do not suffer like I did.

I would greatly have resented my menstrual cycle or its termination being made a matter of company policy.

I have always regarded the details of female physiology as entire my affair and no business of anyone else.

Obviously, any woman who has serious problems should be treated for them and have the option of working part time, but so should anyone with a bad back or any other health issue that makes continuing to work full time difficult.

Well I am employer and aged 58 so well know what the menopause is like - soon, what with the maternity rights, the fact that if the millennials I employ sneeze in the morning they call in sick, the fact everything now is turned into a disability, that stress and anxiety seems to affect everyone under 35 and now a possible ten year menopause period where we have to give time off - I soon won’t have anyone actually in work to keep the business going. My generation won’t have time off as we are made of tough stuff and just brought up to keep going which is why I am in the position I am but the younger ones coming through will take every advantage of this. I think it’s ridiculous!

There’s nothing in policies to support women suffering from menopausal related issues that says that your menopause is a matter of company policy that has to be shared. These policies are simply there to support women with reasonable adjustments if required and in line with business need - that sounds like both common sense and a step forward to me.

So..if employers are already required to make reasonable adjustments for employees with health conditions, why does there have to an additional consideration for menopause-related issues?

If your health is that bad, you'd be covered anyway,?

I'm one of the lucky ones who wasn't much affected by the menopause, however I have always struggled with overheating and sweat profusely in warm weather never mind how I suffer in a heatwave. It isn't life treatening I agree, but can be very debilitating and difficult to cope with, so I guess people with severe menopausal symptoms suffer similarly. When I am embarrassed about my condition I now say "I blame it on age and hormones" despite knowing I've suffered like it most of my life but I feel better being able to attribute it to something. In my youth I just said "I've always had a dodgy thermostat!" I've always had to struggle through it and take the rude remarks I occasionally suffer.
The trouble with having policies like this is that there will always be some who take advantage when they are not badly affected while others will work through whatever difficulties they face. Where will the line be drawn?
Working in a school I cannot be given a cool quiet place to work. If I open the windows in a classroom as I'm too hot there will always be at least one student who complains that they are then too cold despite the fact that they have chosen to remove their blazer/jumper, while I can't remove anything more without causing a major uproar!
Consequently I'm not sure how I feel about this. I don't know if people will require a doctor's note but if they do I guess it will depend how sympathetic their doctor is.

It will all depend on business need as other policies do at the moment - so it’s not a legal requirement but more a ‘this is what we can offer in the way of reasonable adjustments when possible’ approach. It’s about saying that we recognise the specific challenges faced by women at this time and we’ll try and support our employees as best as we can, because we value the many years experience that women of this age bring to the organisation.

I can only see it as a positive.

Sirchenjin I beg to differ.

Reasonable adjustments for those who consider themselves disabled with a condition are covered under the Equality Act 2010 so not simply a matter of policy.

It's up to the individual and his/her GP to justify a request for reasonable adjustments.

So, yes, a matter of policy but much more than simply that.

I'm not sure what a "reasonable" adjustment for a menopausal woman would look like though. A fan? Open windows?

Not at all - reasonable adjustments extend to other areas not covered by existing Acts, eg allowing a change of working location. The link to the C4 policy sets out what reasonable adjustments could look like for menopausal women - all common sense and nothing to be afraid of or irritated by.

I too am not in favour. I spent my working life dealing with various requests for working at home and adjustments for health and family issues. Most people do just go entitled on you and don’t meet you halfway. I too can see what with family responsibilities, health issues etc; this could mean that another category of employee will be unemployable. No wonder employers have very punitive sick and working policies now - there would be no one working when and where prescribed otherwise.

I’m or sure what you mean by have very punitive sick and working policies now - it’s actually the opposite compared to when I started working.

I’ve been a manager for 25 years now and always try and accommodate requests for flexible working etc according to business need. I tend to find that staff respond better to more progressive ways of working and in turn are more flexible and willing to go the extra mile. It’s all about making reasonable adjustments and keeping staff working productively, and that way you retain really good staff and their valuable experience.

I suffered greatly through menopause at a time when my husband had his stroke ...finished him with work forever...my son left home...my daughter was floundering. I had to go back to work 6 hours a day...the rest of time was spent nursing my 50 year old husband. Nobody noticed I was even going through this awful time...as I did not suffer hot flushes! not even my older sister!! I had to cope with night sweats which didn’t allow me more than 3 hours sleep a night ...excruciating pain...’flooding’ two weeks out of four.... all while NOT being paid if I took a sick day. Mine was only income as husband would not claim benefits! I would have given a years wage for somebody to just reach out to me and say “how are you coping” ...nobody did! It lasted 10 years!! I still sleep only 3-4 hours a night as still have night sweats... I’m still nursing my husband 24 years later. Life can’t get any better really can it!?!? What a wonderful idea ...somebody reaching out...because you never know what’s going on in peoples lives do you?

I believe in progress, and would definitely support policies that make life easier for my daughter's generation. Just because working life was difficult for women of my generation is no reason to continue in that way in the future.

I would imagine that if this ever became law (highly unlikely if we throw away the workers' rights that have been fought for decades) then a woman would require a doctor's certificate before she could have adjustments made.

How are you coping now Saggi? (Sorry it's many years too late.)

I could have written a similar story, except I was a single parent and had to keep on working full-time. Random flooding and hot flushes really aren't much fun in a job, where you can't just leave your workspace to sort yourself out in the toilet. Lack of sleep is totally debilitating.

Oh no Saggi - that sounds awful You’re absolutely right, it’s so lovely when workplaces take the time to check that their employees are doing ok. We’re so much more than automatons churning out work - there’s a person behind every employee and good workplaces recognise that and do what they can to help.

I’m going through the menopause at the moment and it’s not going well. HRT has enabled me to manage some symptoms but has caused other problems and I’m just about being driven demented with it all.

Not sure how this would work, not sure I agree with it. Just another excuse for some people to take advantage. My office is full of women of a certain age, so we can’t all go off to cool down, or have time off, so we do what most women do, and just get on with it.

Great! So you'd be happy for somebody who faces the public in person all day to have sweat dripping down her face and a skirt stained with blood?

Oh for goodness sake growstuff what a ridiculous post. If there was a member of staff with "sweat dripping down her face and a skirt stained with blood" dialling 999 for an ambulance would be the thing to do.

It's about time 'reasonable adjustments' were made! Yes, I struggled through, got on with it and 'coped' but I felt so ill at times. I'd like to think that my daughters and granddaughters won't have to!