Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[KarineT]

Hello,

I was watching the menopause documentary by Davina McCall and all the things that she says are correct.  But I am not sure if supporting menopausal women in the workplace can become a legal obligation.  I would say, most employers don't care if their emploees are sick, let alone if they are suffering from menopausal symptoms and therefore I don't know what support they can provide. Davina McCall has got good intentions with her campaign but is she realistic?

[Nas]

No I don’t think she is realistic.
I think she is doing right in raising awareness, but on an every day practical level, I think many women will do continue to suffer, depending on their employer.

For example, I work in a tiny SEN school. Most staff are young and the Head is 40 something. Menopause isn’t even on the radar there !

I would get zero sympathy if i mentioned menopause and would be deemed incapable of doing my job I expect.

Suppose those who work for large organizations in large towns and cities might be treated differently re the menopause, I don’t know?

[Floradora]

I think that large organisations will be forced into having ‘menopause policies’ etc just as they have to have policies for everything else. However, much as I think the recent campaigns will help women to become more aware of HRT options and gain more confidence in asking for them, I think perversely, many organisations will be even more wary of hiring any women over 50 and age discrimination will become even more rife. Particularly in smaller organisations, just as they are often still put off employing g younger women as they think they will be perpetually on maternity leave!

[KarineT]

Exactly! And discrimination happens to women over the age of 50 but what about men?  Do they also get discriminated against because of their age?

[CLKD]

She is totally realistic. Otherwise the Company wouldn't have produced two programmes to raise awareness.

It shouldn't be up to women to push for support in any aspects of Life, however, historically we have had to stand up for what we need.

If it is 'seen' that companies are being sexist, unless women can prove that men are being employed over women with the same qualifications, it will be difficult for them to become employed.  That's something that Unions should be investigating?

1 cannot be sacked for peri-menopause symptoms.  Nas - what makes you believe that?

[KarineT]

One lady on the program, a teacher, was sacked from her job though.  That's what I mean when I say emplyers don't care.  I will be 52 in October and I don't think I
would have an issue working for someone younger than me. 

[CLKD]

I suspect that many women are 'let go'.  However, the companies could find themselves facing a constructive dismissal case, but women are too tired to struggle with Court Cases etc., at a time that they require support.

[KarineT]

Yes and it"s andolutely awful.

[Nas]

CLKD. I just think that small businesses etc in particular are not too bothered about menopause symptoms: it’s tough enough when just dealing with general sickness, let alone menopause.

Davina is a rich lady. She hasn’t the worry and anxiety of trying to make ends meet day in, day out. Worrying about pensions and working until 70!

She is good at raising awareness, but menopause is a tough issue to navigate for many many women, particularly post breast cancer.

It’s just not quite as black and white as portrayed on tv.

 

[KarineT]

I'm digressing slightly here. I was meant to say I would have an issue working for someone younger than me because they may be disrepectful towards older ladies. I definitely wouldn't want that.

Nas, you're right about Davina McCall.  It's not as if she needs to make ends meet.  Was she to lose her job as a presenter, she would probably be alright but the rest of us would almost certainly strugle.

[Nas]

That’s my point Karine.
I respect her for raising the awareness 100% and enlightening women on the options and choices they have re Hrt.

BUT, will she be spending hours on the phone to a GP receptionist, trying to get an appointment? Arguing the toss re obtaining HRT? Scrimping and saving for a private specialist appointment because her own GP is so woefully ignorant or ill educated on the menopause?

[KarineT]

She won't because I think she goes privately.  A lot of us cannot afford to fork out those extortionate fees that they charge in these private clinics.  It's not so much the initial consultation but the follow ups & prescriptions that add up afterwards.

[Pippa52]

KarineT I so agree with you re the huge amount of money going private costs.  In desperation last year I went to a private menopause clinic.  Telephone consultations only at that point due to Covid but that was £250 then any follow ups also over the telephone around £200 private prescriptions charges plus the cost of the HRT - I also had one face to face consultation (for which the consultant was an hour and half late) which was also £250 so I gave that up totally after that.  To be fair it did get me a blood test and thus a diagnosis that my oestrogen levels were rock bottom but at a rather large price.  I now have a wonderful GP who is happy to authorise both the prescriptions and a yearly blood test and check up.  It is a nightmare for so many women though.  I do think that Davina has done a good thing getting menopause talked about and out in the open and hopefully that will start to make a difference in the future.

[Winterose]

Great she is raising awareness generally but to be honest I don’t think it’s a company’s problems to deal with anyones health problems . If they can afford to , then give all employees private health care as that would be good  enabling people to get back to work quicker . That all sounds rather cold and unfeeling
but companies have to make money to keep show on road and feel we all get too dependant on “ other”
to sort our problems . I have my own business and struggled with menopause ( sleeplessness, night sweats the lot for 2 years ) after hysterectomy and then prolapse but once I got hrt things got better . I know this doesn’t apply to everyone but now they know hrt isn’t devil incarnate and hopefully gps being better educated on it then possibly a lot of these issues will disappear

[Peana]

Like most things in life, it's certainly not black and white. 

Larger companies with dedicated HR could benefit from a menopause policy - it would certainly make them more attractive to work for.  However, when I first hit perimenopause and asked HR for support I was told I had poor emotional intelligence and needed to work on myself to make it easier for others to work with me (eventually I left).  Smaller companies tend to know their staff better and can be more compassionate, however, they can't necessarily afford to offer the support they'd like.

I think women are discriminated against in the workplace on many levels.  If you're of child bearing age a male candidate will be preferrable, when you have children the concept of needing to take time off work to look after them when they are sick is often met with resistance (although on the flipside, I once advised our line manager that a male colleague was trying to get hold of him to advise that his daughter was off sick and he had to take the day off - the first thing he said was 'why isn't his wife looking after her').  Don't get me started on maternity / paternity rights.  In Scandinavia it is so great to see young fathers meeting for coffee, not just mothers, whereas an American friend of mine was happy to go back to work within a week of giving birth as she didn't want her male colleagues to think she had preferential treatment.  Women feeling they have to leave work due to the menopause (as I did) is just the next way we're discriminated against.  Personally, I think it is important to have a diverse workforce, so if women are consistently under-represented at all life stages it's bad for business as they are losing those different insights.

Let's not forget that we all experience menopause differently and will have different needs.   A simple request like being able to have a fan provided is going to be a lot easier for a firm to deal with than if they need to re-write policy around working hours or absences.  I think the debate on home working that has developed since the pandemic will also have some over-laps with any menopause policy.

I hope things do change, however, it certainly won't be easy, and it's much bigger than just menopause.  I think it's good that the TV programme has at least encouraged the debate.  I also think it's important that women aren't pressured into taking HRT (unless they want to), just because it suits an employer more.