A Labour government would publish menopause guidance specifically aimed at small businesses.
Speaking at the Women in Work Summit in London yesterday (27 September), shadow women and equalities secretary Anneliese Dodds said the party would outline how smaller employers can support employees going through the menopause, such as offering alterations to uniforms, access to temperature-controlled areas and enabling flexible working.
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Dodds said: “Women in their 40s and 50s are often holding down jobs and caring for children and elderly family members often while experiencing menopausal symptoms. Labour is on the side of these women, wherever they work.
“While the Conservatives and inaction man Rishi Sunak seem content for these women to be left to fend for themselves, or to fall out of the workplace altogether, with the right support we can unleash the talent and creativity of women throughout our economy. It’s good for those women, good for employers and good for our economy as a whole.”
She suggested that smaller businesses wanted to support their employees, but needed guidance around how to retain staff experiencing menopause.
In addition to small business menopause guidance, Labour has pledged to introduce a requirement for larger organisations to publish a menopause action plan, after it published research with the Fawcett Society earlier this year that suggested around one in 10 women aged 45-55 left their jobs last year due to menopause symptoms.
In January the government rejected calls to make menopause a protected characteristic, stating that age, sex and disability are already covered by the Equality Act.
The British Standards Institution recently published a new national standard for workplace menopause support, which includes recommendations for policies, workplace culture and work design.
Anne Hayes, director of sectors at the British Standards Institution, said: “Today’s announcement from the Labour Party recognises that employers can be a key avenue for support for employees experiencing menopause.
“What we are seeing is that even after lengthy careers, women are leaving the workforce early for reasons other than personal choice. There are many factors driving this, but a fifth of British women specifically cited menopause and more than half felt it would be difficult to raise this with their employers. There is a clear opportunity for employers to step in and provide welcome support. It’s good to see this highlighted by Labour.”
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