​Menopause policy 2025

Roselyn House School

1. Aims 

• To educate and inform managers about the potential symptoms of the 
  menopause, and how they can support women at work. 

• To understand the menopause and related issues, and how they can 
  affect staff. 

• To raise a wider awareness and understanding among the workforce. 

• To outline support and reasonable adjustments that are available. 

• To create an environment where women feel confident enough to raise 
  issues about their symptoms and ask for reasonable adjustments and 
  additional support at work. 

 
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.  

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 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 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 menopause may differ greatly. Menopause can also affect partners and families too. 

 
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. 

 
Menopause is a natural part of every woman’s life, and marks 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. 

2. Legislative compliance 

 
This policy is fully compliant with the following legislation  

England, Scotland and Wales 

• Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974. 

• The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. 

• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, GB 
  Regulations 4. 

• Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) introduced by the Equality Act 
  2010 (Eng, Scotland and Wales). 

• Equality Act 2010. 

3. 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. 

 
         4. Symptoms of 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. 

 
               5. 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 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: 

• Access to toilets. 

• Access to drinking water. 

• Access to natural light. 

• Risk assessments, carried out by a ‘competent’ person; and 

• Regulated temperatures. 

The above are ‘standard’ requirements. 

Additional help and support 

 
NASUWT 
www.nasuwt.org.uk 

 
TUC 
www.tuc.org.uk 

 
Menopause matters 

 
www.menopausematters.co.uk 

 
The British Menopause Society 

 
www.thebms.org.uk 

 
NHS menopause pages 

 
www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/symptoms 

6. Monitoring arrangements 

This document will be reviewed every year, but may be reviewed and updated more frequently if necessary. It will be reviewed by Jack Birkenhead (Headteacher) in consultation with the wider school community.  

7. Links with other policies 

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: 

• 42% of women feeling that their symptoms were worse or much worse 
  than they expected. 

• 50% of women believed the menopause had impacted on their home 
  life; and 

• More than a third believed the menopause had impacted on their work 
  life. 

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: 

• lack of suitable gender sensitive risk assessments. 

• lack of awareness of the menopause. 

• lack of management training on women’s health issues. 

• poor ventilation and air quality. 

• inadequate access to drinking water. 

• inadequate or non-existent. 

• toilet/washing facilities. 

• lack of control of temperature/ light. 

• lack of appropriate uniforms or personal protective equipment (PPE in 
  science department). 

• inflexible working time rules/break times. 

• inflexible policies which penalise women because of their symptoms. 

• negative attitudes. 

• excessive workloads. 

• workplace stress. 

• unsympathetic line management/colleagues; and 

• bullying and harassment. 

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: 

• Arrange a meeting at a convenient time for both parties. 

• Allow the employee to be accompanied if they want it. This can be a 
  trade union representative or a colleague. 

• Choose a venue that provides privacy and is unlikely to be disturbed. 

• Allow adequate time to talk. 

• Encourage the employee to be open and honest. It is difficult to help 
  when you haven’t got the full picture. 

• If the employee wishes to speak to another manager, this should be 
  allowed. 

• Keep a note of all discussions and agree outcomes and next steps (the 
  ‘Confidential Discussion Record – Menopause’ should be used to 
  facilitate this). 

• Agree a follow-up meeting to review the situation.