More than a quarter of employers believe the pandemic has made it more difficult to identify which employees may require menopause support, according to digital health platform Peppy.
According to research conducted on behalf of the provider, around 21 per cent of employers stated that, with an increase in the number of employees working from home and flexible working arrangements in place, they now have less ability to track when and why people are off work. Additionally, 20 per cent of employers believe they have less ability to promote employee benefits that could help people deal with menopausal symptoms.
According to the research, almost a third of employers believe that longer NHS wait times have made it more difficult to manage menopause issues in the workplace. Employers, on the other hand, recognise the need to step up with 59 per cent believing that the elongated waiting times for menopause support due to Covid-19 have exacerbated the need for employers to provide support.
Peppy CEO Mridula Pore says: “We know that there is real groundswell of support for menopause issues as many employees are making their voices heard on the matter. However, this increase in demand for menopause support services puts pressure on our already stretched NHS. Employers have a great opportunity to step in and provide that support by making it quick and easy to get help without the need to wait for a GP appointment or a referral to a menopause clinic.”
Peppy’s research also revealed that employers recognise that some employees will continue to be hesitant to open up about medical issues, particularly menopause issues, in the workplace. Indeed, 43 per cent agreed that confidentiality was the most important aspect of employer-sponsored menopause support.
Pore says: “It’s true to say that many women of menopausal age feel vulnerable to sexism and ageism in the workplace and have concerns about being overlooked for promotions and pay rises. It is therefore understandable why they may not wish to highlight menopausal symptoms and potentially bring in to question their productivity, efficiency or suitability for a role.”
31 per cent of employers also stated that menopause support should be easy to use while 27 per cent say it should be easy to access, and a quarter felt that a personalised or bespoke approach was important. A quarter of respondents believed that integration with NHS services was critical so that employees could seamlessly navigate between the support provided by their employer and their local health services.
Pore says: “We know that workplace menopause support is becoming more commonplace and there are more options available to HR teams. Employers need to ensure they offer dedicated support from a menopause healthcare specialist if they truly want to help menopausal staff as the pandemic continues to be a feature of our daily lives.
“Once this support is in place, employers are able to evidence their caring and supportive workplace culture, as it demonstrates that they are ahead of the curve, and value their employees at what can be an extremely difficult period as they balance their health issues and their career.
“While working from home may have been a godsend for many menopausal staff, offering menopause support could now be crucial in helping employees make a positive return to the office when we are advised to do so.”
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