To mark World Menopause Day this year, Micro Focus introduced a Menopause Support Centre for all employees to access related support and information.
Everybody is affected by menopause in some way, whether directly or supporting others. Hormonal changes can also be experienced during other times of life, such as when undergoing fertility treatment, hormonal treatments, or caused by certain illnesses. Therefore, it can affect a much wider community than many of us realise, including members of the trans and non-binary community.
The Menopause Support centre is part of a broader companywide Menopause Support program which includes educational resources such as podcasts, webinars and articles, awareness sessions for all employees, toolkits for managers, and resources for those supporting someone through perimenopause and menopause.
There are more than 40 physical and mental conditions that may be caused by menopause transition. Many who have gone through menopause and experienced symptoms say it impacted them at work, and that more workplace support is needed. In raising awareness of menopause in the workplace, we want to support all our colleagues and ensure team members feel comfortable learning and talking more about menopause at work.
Cultural Sensitivity
We recognise that the menopause is approached in different ways, depending on where you are in the world and as a global brand, it is important that we acknowledge this. In some countries, menopause is seen as a natural stage of life that comes with many benefits and is seen as a ‘rebirth’ or a time of liberation. In contrast, elsewhere women are less willing to discuss their symptoms and there is a clear stigma to menopause. Old age is not to the same extent seen in society as something “positive.”
Workplace Impact
Research evidences that today women are working longer and there is an increase in the average age of women in the labour force worldwide. In the UK, women aged 50-64 is the fastest growing working demographic, which means that women affected by the menopause are often at a senior level and more experienced in their team. We recognize that losing someone with significant knowledge and experience can make a huge impact on a business. Research shows that almost one in four women are considering leaving work as a result of menopause symptoms. Therefore, introducing the Menopause Support Centre is a crucial step in supporting our colleagues’ wellbeing and further embedding inclusive behaviours into the heart of what we do – a key component of the company’s diversity and inclusion commitments.
