How employers can support women during the HRT shortage

The current shortage of medication for hormone replacement therapy in the UK is causing significant stress among menopausal women. Facilitating some reasonable adjustments to their roles will benefit both the organisation and the employee, writes Clare Marsland.

One positive to have come out of the pandemic is a renewed emphasis on people’s health and wellbeing, with 46% of organisations increasing their focus on employee health and wellbeing since the pandemic began, according to research by Personnel Today’s sister title Employee Benefits.

But, organisations that seized the opportunity to increase the support they offer now need to do it again for menopausal women, who are experiencing stress as they battle to get hold of hormone relacement therapy (HRT) medication.

Menopause has been in the headlines over the past few weeks, partly because of Davina McCall’s groundbreaking documentary, which has educated women about this lifestage and possible treatments, but also because of the current HRT shortage.

Historically there has been a great deal of confusion and misunderstanding surrounding the treatment risks and benefits of HRT. Thanks to better education as well as more positive media coverage, demand for HRT has doubled in the past five years. Unfortunately, supply has struggled to keep up and it is now difficult to fulfil some prescriptions, which are relied upon by women across the country.

Menopause affects everyone differently. Anxiety, night sweats, brain fog, aches and pains, disrupted sleep and hot flushes are just a few of the symptoms that can make it difficult for menopausal women to feel good or function well.

Even before the HRT shortage, research by Vodafone found 60% of women felt the menopause negatively impacted them while at work. HRT treats many symptoms and is a lifeline, giving respite from the worst of it and allowing them to go about their daily lives.

Women are terrified

The HRT shortage has snatched away this lifeline and women are desperately eking out the last of their medication. All the while, they are terrified at seeing their symptoms return and worrying about how they will manage.

They are trying to get their prescriptions changed to try other treatments, which may be less effective. They are constantly calling pharmacies trying to monitor stock levels so that they can relay this information to their GP for their prescription. They are stuck in a phone call ping-pong match between doctors and pharmacies, having to get prescriptions altered at lightning speed to grab any available HRT. Some women are driving hundreds of miles to find pharmacies who just might have the stock they are after. And, all the while, they are trying to manage the responsibilities of home, work and caring responsibilities alongside crippling symptoms.

The government is trying to address the shortage but there are no guarantees of when manufacturing and supply chains will be able to cope with the demand. In the meantime, it’s up to businesses to support their staff.

Support women during the HRT shortage

Menopausal women are the fastest growing workplace demographic and looking after their health and wellbeing should be a priority. However, more than 50% of them are too scared to talk about menopause at work so won’t ask for help if they aren’t coping. Making sure they have the opportunity to raise their current struggles in a safe environment is really important.

There are plenty of reasonable adjustments organisations can make to support their staff. Here’s what you can do:

• Be flexible. Adjust their working hours so that they can make arrangements to see their GP to talk through HRT alternatives that are available locally.
• Allow ring-around time. This can often be a frustrating and time-consuming experience. Many pharmacies are closed at lunchtime, so give them additional time to make calls about stock levels. Allowing time outside their lunch break to do this ensures that they get an opportunity to refuel and rest too.
• Adapt uniforms. If symptoms have reappeared, think about a temporary change to uniform/PPE requirements and, where appropriate or possible, provide additional uniform they can change into if they have sweats.
• Be sympathetic. This is important when managing any absences that happen either directly or indirectly because of menopause and especially if caused by the current shortage of HRT.
• Allow later start time or an earlier finish. This helps them avoid commuting in peak hours if symptoms have resurfaced. Or, allow them to work from home.
• Be open. Supportive conversations can make all the difference. Bear in mind that every woman’s symptoms are unique to her so open conversations to understand what their specific needs are are necessary.
• Raise awareness. Offer line managers and other employees menopause awareness training so that they are better able to support colleagues.

It’s brilliant to see the positive shift towards menopause awareness and support over the past few years, but there’s still a long way to go. More than one million UK women could quit the workforce this year due to a lack of menopause support, a survey commissioned by Koru Kids revealed earlier this year.

At Vira Health, and our Stella app, we’re passionate about supporting women in the workplace, and giving organisations the tools to help make menopause less stressful for those struggling. Ultimately, both organisations and individuals will benefit from improved menopause care and support.

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