Back in 2021, TV personality Davina McCall did something revolutionary. She started a national conversation about a subject that was widely held to be taboo – women’s health and in particular menopause. The ripple effects of that open dialogue are still being felt today as businesses respond to it by taking a good look at the challenges they face due to the impact menopause has on their workforce.
Women account for just about half of the UK working population, yet many feel unable to speak about their menopausal symptoms at work. From brain fog to insomnia, hot flushes to mood swings, 45 per cent of women in a British Menopause Society study of 1000 British women said that menopausal symptoms affected their work negatively. 47 per cent needed to take time off work, with many not feeling comfortable in giving their employer the real reason for their absence.
“It’s time for a sea change in how we approach the menopause in our work environments”, says Pip Rutter Managing Director of PR Training Services. “Women are experiencing debilitating symptoms not only over a matter of months but years, so making sure your business is doing the very best it can for its female workforce is paramount. It just can’t be that vast swathes of the female working population feel forced to reduce their hours, pass up promotions or even quit their jobs due to a natural set of circumstances completely beyond their control. The lack of support for women in their 40s and 50s as they journey through this stage of their lives needs rectifying if we are going to future proof businesses.”
The Menopause Awareness training offered by PR Training Services which was founded in 2005 is provided by an experienced and accredited Executive Menopause Coach who has previously trained at companies such as Sky and Network Rail. The PR Training Services approach to training menopause awareness seeks to help companies reverse the Government Equalities Office research from 2017 which stated that menopause is ‘not well understood or provided for in the workplace cultures, policies and training’.
“For many companies it’s just about wellbeing and job satisfaction – for us that’s only part of the story. We need to help companies achieve that shift in culture needed to properly accommodate this talented group in their workforce – women who are often at the peak of their career with a skillset to match”, Pip explains. “All three of our courses will give employers and employees the knowledge and practical skills to create a caring and supportive company culture with menopause firmly on the agenda”.
With most women leaving work typically four years later than in the 80s, it’s important to ensure their place in the workforce of the future. Pip Rutter concludes, “The menopause is an inevitable part of getting older but women shouldn’t feel the need to turn their backs on their career due to the impact it has on their physical and mental health. Enabling a core part of your workforce to stay committed to their role in your company surely needs to be the priority of every business owner – and PR Training Services can help you achieve just that.”
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