Tools
UK CIA Sustainable Health Metrics Indicator Tool with relevant good practice
Helping members achieve sustainable healthy workplaces
Part of the CIA’s Health & Well-being leadership strategy series - Helping members achieve sustainable healthy workplaces.
A call for change
Equality in the workplace is a vital aspect of our organisational culture, and we all have a role to play in helping and supporting all employees from discrimination whatever their gender, disability, race or sexual orientation.
Great change is afoot on the expectations for new government policy, employment workplace practices/policies and in how we can better support those experiencing menopause. Due to increased awareness on the impact of menopause issues on the workplace, how this affects individuals is now being better understood.
In the past there has been stigma and shame around women’s health in general, and menopause is being talked about more widely, including in Parliament with the development of a Women’s Health Strategy (Department of Health) and the UK Parliament House of Commons Survey – Menopause in the Workplace (Feb 2022), First Report (July 2022) and Concluding Report (October 2022).
The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee – Menopause and the workplace – First Report (July 2022) explains that ‘current law does not serve or protect menopausal women. There is poor employer awareness of both health and safety and equality law relating to menopause. More fundamentally, the law does not offer proper redress to those who suffer menopause related discrimination’. And gives recommendation ‘for employers to act in a way policies are designed so that fewer women need legal redress’. For menopause in the workplace, they call on the Government to ‘immediately commence section 14 of the Equality Act 2010’ to allow dual discrimination claims based on more than one protected characteristic; and to ‘urgently consult on making menopause a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010’. Noting that Menopause has ‘been ignored and hidden away for too long. There is nothing shameful about women’s health, or about getting older. Supporting those experiencing menopause makes sense for individuals, for the economy and for society’.
Many organisations are now putting menopause policies in place to support employees; and there is much more information, guidance, training & awareness, providers, and support available. We were asked by our members to develop a signpost guide relating to Developing and implementing Menopause Policies, and my thanks go to the CIA Team and the many members who contributed to the development of this Signpost Guide.
The CIA would also like to acknowledge the input from Jacqui McBurnie from NHS England in helping us with the content (Jacqui is the Chair of NHS England - Improvement Menopause Network and a member of the Cross Government Menopause Network Executive Steering Committee).
- Do you have a menopause policy?
- Cost to the employer/impact on the individual
- Current legal duties
- Developing your policy
- Framing your policy
- What about the male menopause?
- Other issues to consider when developing your policy
CIA Menopause Policy
The CIA champions Health & Wellbeing Leadership, since we recognise the need to look after any organisation’s best resource - its people! Our objective is to help member sites achieve sustainable healthy workplaces. Learn how you can develop and implement a menopause policy.
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