Boss Dismisses Menopause as ‘Excuse’
Employee's menopausal symptoms are dismissed as "aches and pains"
Karen Farquharson, 49, has won £37,000 after successfully suing the company where she worked for unfair dismissal and harassment.
In August 2021, Ms Farquharson told her employers that she had menopause and was experiencing a number of "serious symptoms". As well as bleeding she was suffering from anxiety, a loss of concentration and brain fog.
Thistle Marine, an engineering firm in Aberdeenshire where she worked as an office manager, paid for her to have a private assessment of her condition. Farquharson had been off sick due to menopausal symptoms when her boss told her to “just get on with it” and her symptoms were dismissed as “aches and pains”.
Jim Clark, managing director, told her she used menopause as an “excuse for everything”.
Although Farquharson had been working there for 27 years, she said they “treated me like rubbish”. She has since resigned from the firm.
The New British Standard
BS 30416, Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace, was launched in July this year and is intended to help workers in a variety of roles - including jobs that involve being on your feet a lot, like police officers, and highly physical roles like construction workers.
Menstruation, menstrual health and perimenopause are not openly discussed in this country. These topics are complex and not yet fully understood. This makes it hard for women, trans and non-binary people to identify and manage their physical and psychological symptoms. Because of this, it also makes it difficult for healthcare professionals and workplaces to suitably support them.
Research from the Fawcett Society, a women's rights charity, suggested one in 10 women who worked during menopause has left a job due to their symptoms so it’s really important that workplaces create a more comfortable working experience.
The menstruation, menstrual health and menopause in the workplace standard sets out practical recommendations so that workplaces can take steps to support their employees. It says adjustments in workplaces could be made to things like uniforms, PPE and artificial lighting. It is also intended to help companies identify misconceptions about periods and peri-menopause.
Suggestions include:
- Increasing awareness of menstruation and menopause
- Training managers to understand the potential impact
- Ensuring facilities are accessible
- Checking if policies consider menstruation and menopause
- Considering flexible work patterns for staff
- Adjusting workplace procedures and processes to support and avoid any detriment to menopausal people
- Provision of desk fans, or a way to regulate temperatures in classrooms (although temperature should not drop below 18 degrees Celsius)
Even so, not everyone in the workplace will need or want support because everyone's experience will differ. It's a case of creating a conversation and listening to your staff about the types of adjustments they require. You can download the new standard here.
Your Workplace
Want to make your workplace into a more inclusive and open environment but are unsure where to start? Something as simple as providing comfortable seating and desk fans can make all the difference and show your willingness to support your employees.
Another simple step is using non-stigmatising language like "menstrual products" instead of "feminine hygiene products".
Schools and academies should be committed to undertaking to comply with the legal obligations outlined in:
- The Equality Act 2010, which outlaws discrimination against people based on protected characteristics, including sex, gender, race and disability
- The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which requires employers to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all employees
- The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, in which employers are required to conduct general risk assessments, including specific risks to menopausal women
Did You Know?
90% of women say their workplaces offer NO help for menopausal women workers.
Of the firms that do offer support, 5% offer free advice, 3% have policies in place and 3% of line managers are given relevant training.
29% have lost self-confidence because of memory difficulties.
Research from the Fawcett Society, a women's rights charity, suggested one in 10 women who worked during menopause has left a job due to their symptoms.
Schools and academies should aim to create a trusting and supportive environment in which people with menopausal symptoms feel open to discussing symptoms and are confident to address issues. Organisations can start to do this by providing employees with all the appropriate knowledge, information and training they need to understand and appreciate the struggles their colleagues may be going through.
They should also give employees the necessary tools to feel confident in approaching their employers if they are suffering from symptoms related to menopause, minimising the fear and worry of speaking openly about their symptoms as much as possible.