Women are being let down by the Government’s ‘glacial’ progress to make England’s workplace menopause-friendly, MPs warn.
A report by the Women and Equalities Committee called for urgent action to prevent large numbers of talented menopausal women leaving their jobs.
But ministers sparked fury by flatly rejecting five of his recommendations in a response three and a half months late.
This includes a recommendation to make menopause a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and to test a specific transitional leave policy.
A report by the Women and Equalities Committee called for urgent action to prevent large numbers of talented menopausal women leaving their jobs. But ministers sparked fury by flatly rejecting five of his recommendations in a response three and a half months late
In a letter to Health Secretary Maria Caulfield, committee chair Caroline Nokes (pictured) expressed concern that the government had “ignored the significant evidence base” for equality law reform and urged her to reconsider her position.
In a letter to Health Secretary Maria Caulfield, committee chair Caroline Nokes expressed concern that the government had “ignored the important evidence base” for reforming the Equal Treatment Act and urged her to reconsider her position.
The committee also notes the “low cost but high impact” of menopause-friendly workplace policies and transitional leave, which the government has rejected.
In the letter, the committee said it was “extremely disappointing that the Menopause Task Force has not met since the summer recess and that the Round Table on HRT Care has been postponed several times.”
The Commission’s report, published in July 2022, argued that the overlooked impact of menopause is causing the UK economy to “bleed talent”.
It argued that the current law does not adequately protect women going through menopause and does not provide adequate redress for those who experience menopause-related discrimination.
Instead, many women must prove that their menopausal symptoms amount to a disability.
While the government said it had accepted six of the recommendations in part, in part or in principle, it was criticized by the committee for not actually committing to new work in response to the report.
Miss Nokes, Tory MP, said: “This late response to our report is a missed opportunity to protect a large number of talented and experienced women from leaving the workforce and leaves me unconvinced that menopause is a government priority not.
“For too long, women have faced stigma, shame and rejection when it comes to menopause.
“The evidence for our inquiry was crystal clear that urgent public health and workplace action was needed to adequately meet women’s needs, but the government’s progress was abysmal and the response complacent.
“His refusal to even consult on reforming the Equality Act makes no sense and we urge him to try again.”
The average age of menopause is 51 years, with perimenopause often starting years earlier.
With 4.5 million women aged 50 to 64 currently in employment, the report highlights the scale of the problem facing “individuals, the economy and society”.
Women who experience at least one problematic menopausal symptom are 43 per cent more likely to have stopped working by age 55 than women who have no severe symptoms, while BUPA research shows that 900,000 women who entered menopause have given up work.
The original report states: “Menopausal women are the fastest growing group in the workforce and are staying in the workforce longer than ever before.
“Nevertheless, these experienced and capable role models often receive little support with menopausal symptoms.
“Some cut hours or responsibilities as a result. Others leave the job altogether.
“We are calling on the government to lead the way for companies by appointing a menopause ambassador who will champion best practice.”
A government spokesman said: “We recognize that menopause can be a challenging time for women, which is why we have put women’s health high on the agenda as part of the first women’s health strategy for England.
“We are undertaking an ambitious program of work with the NHS to improve menopausal care so that all women can access the support they need.
“We encourage employers to be compassionate and flexible in responding to the needs of their employees, and we are committed to supporting more flexible working patterns – we have talked about making flexible working the norm unless employers have good reason not to do it.” .”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
