Roselyn House School and The RHISE Service
Menopause policy
This policy has been taken from a model policy provided by NASUWT with additional advice from
NEU and NAHT. It has been adapted for the purpose of use at Roselyn House School and The RHISE Service. The employer is KS Education Limited of which the Headteacher, Miss S. Damerall and Deputy
Headteacher, Miss K Willacy are the Directors.
This policy is written as a guide for staff in consultation with the staff group and has been agreed. It will be reviewed annually taking into consideration Union and DfE guidance.
It should be noted that people from the non-binary, transgender and
intersex
communities may also experience menopausal symptoms. Due to a variety of
factors, the experience of the menopause may be different for those among
these communities. Although the policy refers to women, please consider that
‘people who menstruate’ also require consideration.
Experiences and perceptions of the menopause may also differ in relation
to
disability, age, race, religion, sexual orientation or marital/civil partnership
status. It is important to recognise that for many reasons, people’s individual
experiences of the menopause may differ greatly.
The menopause can also affect partners and families too.
Policy statement
KS Education Limited is committed to providing an inclusive and supportive
working
environment for all its workers and recognises that women may need
additional consideration, support and adjustments before (perimenopause),
during and after the menopause.
This policy sets out the guidelines for employees on providing the right
support to manage menopausal symptoms at work.
It is estimated that between 75% and 80% of menopausal women are in work
in the UK. It is therefore imperative that workplaces have a workable,
informative and robust policy in place that is fully consistent with UK
legislation.
The menopause is a natural part of every woman’s life, and marks of the
end
of her reproductive cycle. For many reasons, it may not be an easy time in a
woman’s life and so it is imperative that workers who require additional
support during this time are treated with understanding, dignity and respect.
The policy acknowledges that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution to
the
menopause and so it is intended as a support guide for all workers. All
stakeholders agree to work proactively to make adjustments where necessary
to support women experiencing the menopause and to ensure the workplace
does not make their symptoms worse.
Exclusionary or discriminatory practices will not be
tolerated.
Legislative compliance
This policy is fully compliant with the following legislation
England, Scotland and Wales
Aims
The aim of this policy is:
Definitions
Perimenopause
The perimenopause is the period in a woman’s life when she starts to
experience hormonal fluctuations and changes to her periods. The average
time for a woman to be perimenopausal is between four to five years. During
this time, periods may become increasingly heavy and irregular, meaning it is
vitally important for a woman experiencing symptoms to be close to toilets and shower facilities. For some women, the
symptoms during this time can be
worse than the actual menopause.
Menopause
A woman is described as being menopausal when they have gone 12 months
without a period and when her ovaries are no longer responsive. The average
age for a woman to reach the menopause in the UK is 51. American evidence
suggests that this is different for Asian and black women. An Asian woman
may start her menopause later and a black woman slightly earlier. To date,
there is no UK evidence on this issue.
Post-menopausal
This is the time after menopause has occurred, starting when a woman has
not had a period for 12 consecutive months. The average time for women
experiencing symptoms of the menopause is five years, but many women
experience symptoms for up to ten years and 3% of women will experience
symptoms for the rest of their lives. Post-menopausal women have an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and
osteoporosis and managers should be aware of this.
Symptoms of the menopause
Symptoms may include:
Vasomotor Symptoms
*Hot flushes and Night Sweats
*Psychological effects of hormone changes
*Low mood/mood swings
*Poor memory and concentration
*Insomnia
*Loss of libido
*Anxiety/panic attacks
Physical Symptoms
*Headaches
*Fatigue
*Joint aches and pains
*Palpitations
*Formication (creeping skin)
*Insomnia
Sexual Symptoms
*Reduced sex drive
*Painful sex/*vaginal dryness
*Urinary tract infections
*Vaginal irritation
Consequences of oestrogen deficiency
*Obesity, diabetes
*Heart disease
*Osteoporosis/chronic arthritis
*Dementia and cognitive decline
*Cancer
N.B. This is not an exhaustive list.
Workplace support
This policy recognises that there are many workplace factors which can
make
working life more difficult for women experiencing the menopause and which
may make symptoms worse. School and college leaders should take into
consideration the concerns listed in Appendix 1.
Appendix 2 will help with the planning of specific adjustments during the
meeting. The adjustments should be shared with the employee before the
meeting.
Line Managers
It is recognised that the menopause is a very personal experience and
different adjustments and levels of support may be needed for different
individuals. Line managers should seek to provide appropriate support and
adjustments when needed to help women deal with issues arising from the
menopause. ‘Management advice’ is provided as Appendix 1 to this policy.
Employees
It is recognised that employees have a responsibility for their health,
safety
and welfare but that workplace demands can complicate this. Employees can
expect such things as:
The above are ‘standard’ requirements.
Additional help and support
NASUWT
www.nasuwt.org.uk
TUC
www.tuc.org.uk
Menopause matters
The British Menopause Society
NHS menopause pages
www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/symptoms
S.Damerall
June 2023
Appendix 1
Management guidance for informal discussions
Managers should familiarise themselves with the menopause before
conducting a meeting with a member of staff to discuss their situation.
The menopause is a natural part of ageing which usually occurs between 45
and 55 years of age. It occurs as a direct result of a woman’s oestrogen levels
declining. In the UK, the average age for a woman to reach menopause is 51.
A woman is officially described as post-menopausal when her ovaries are no
longer working and when she has not had a period for 12 months.
The perimenopause is the period of hormonal change leading up to the
menopause. This is the time when many women start to experience
symptoms. The perimenopause can often last for four to five years, although
for some women it may continue for many more years, or for others last just a
few months. In general, periods usually start to become less frequent over this
time. Sometimes menstrual cycles become shorter, periods may become
heavier or lighter, or women may notice that the odd period is missed until
eventually they stop altogether. Some women report that during the
perimenopause, they experience worse symptoms than the menopause.
Some women experience sudden menopause after surgery, chemotherapy or
radiotherapy.
It is estimated that around one in every 100 women will experience a
premature menopause (before the age of 40).
The menopause affects every woman differently and so there is no
‘one-size-
fits-all’ solution to it.
Some women experience few symptoms while others experience such severe
symptoms that it impacts negatively on both their home and working lives.
Signs and symptoms of the menopause
The following is merely a guide to some of the signs and symptoms women
may experience as part of the menopause. Some women may suffer with
conditions that are exacerbated by the menopause, such as osteoarthritis and
migraine.
Signs and symptoms may
include:
Vasomotor symptoms
*Hot flushes and night sweats
Psychological effects of hormone
changes
*Low mood/mood swings
*Poor memory and concentration
*Insomnia
*Loss of libido
*Anxiety/panic attacks
Physical Symptoms
*Headaches
*Fatigue
*Joint aches and pains
*Palpitations
*Formication (creeping skin)
*Insomnia
Sexual Symptoms
*Reduced sex drive
*Painful sex/*vaginal dryness
*Urinary tract infections
*Vaginal irritation
Consequences of oestrogen deficiency
*Obesity, diabetes
*Heart disease
*Osteoporosis/chronic arthritis
*Dementia and cognitive decline
*Cancer
N.B. This is not an exhaustive list.
Many women may also find that their symptoms are connected. For example,
sleep disturbance, which is really common during the menopause, may lead
to a whole plethora of other serious conditions.
The length of time that women experience symptoms of the menopause can
vary between women. Again, there is no one answer for all.
Symptoms can begin months or years before a woman’s periods stop.
The perimenopause is usually expected to last around four or five years, but it
can be much shorter or longer. During this time, many women begin to
experience painful, intermittent and heavy periods. As a teacher, it is therefore
important to raise this issue with management if adjustments need to be put in
place, such as having access to a toilet and shower facilities.
According to the NHS, on average, a woman continues to experience
symptoms for around four years after their last period, but around 10% of
women continue to experience symptoms for up to 12 years after their last
period and 3% will suffer for the rest of their lives. With teachers remaining in the classroom well into their sixties, it
is imperative that caseworkers are
aware of this and are not afraid to raise it as an issue with women members
seeking help and support for other, seemingly unrelated, concerns.
It is also important to recognise that beyond the menopause, post-menopausal women can be at
increased risk of certain conditions due to a decrease in hormones. These include osteoporosis and heart disease.
The British Menopause Society (2016) estimated that 50% of women aged
between 45-65 who had experienced the menopause in the previous ten
years had NOT consulted a healthcare professional about their menopausal
symptoms.
This was despite:
Many workplace factors can
make working life more difficult for women
experiencing the menopause, which may make symptoms worse. School and
college leaders should take into consideration the concerns listed below.
These can include:
Line managers
It is recognised that the menopause is a very personal experience and
different adjustments and levels of support may be needed for different
individuals. Line managers should seek to provide appropriate support and
adjustments when needed to help women deal with issues arising from the
menopause.
Should an employee request a meeting to discuss concerns of the
menopause, it is recommended that line managers adhere to the following:
Confidential Discussion Record – Menopause
Date:
|
Present: |
Staff Details |
Name |
Job Title |
Location |
|
|
|
Summary of discussions:
Agreed action points/reasonable adjustments:
Agreed date of review meeting:
Signed (staff)..................................
Signed (manager)............................
Appendix 2- workplace issues/ suggested adjustments
Symptom |
Examples of workplace factors which could worsen or interact with symptoms |
Suggested adjustments |
Daytime |
Lack of access to rest
breaks |
Be flexible about |
Night
time |
Rigid start/finish times
and |
Consider temporary |
Urinary |
Lack of access to
adequate
|
Ensure easy access to Ensure easy access to |
Irregular
and/or |
Lack of access to
adequate |
Ensure easy access to |
Skin
irritation, |
Unsuitable workplace |
Ensure comfortable |
Muscular |
Lifting and moving, as
well joint pains or adopting static
postures, |
Make any necessary adjustments through review
of risk assessments and |
Headaches |
Headaches may be
triggered |
Ensure comfortable |
Dry Eyes |
Unsuitable workplace |
Ensure comfortable |
Psychological
|
Excessive workloads, |
Ensure that workers will services. |
Psychological
|
Certain tasks may become |
Carry out a stress risk tasks and planning of |