No time to ‘pause on all things meno’

Posted on 6 October 2023

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At the last count, there were more than 33 million women in the UK and each one will go through the menopause, so it’s brilliant to see the topic become more widely discussed outside the doctor’s surgery.

Conversations have become louder and more public thanks, in part, to TV presenter Davina McCall and Dr Louise Newson. Together they have become very public menopause campaigners and the overwhelming support they have received has encouraged all corners of society to rethink their attitude to women’s health.

One corner has been the Government. Earlier in 2023, it appointed its first-ever Menopause Employment Champion, dedicated to improving workplace support for those going through the menopause.

It comes in response to the sad statistic that reveals 1 in 4 menopausal women consider leaving their job due to symptoms. Now Helen Tomlinson has been charged by the Government to ensure more employers develop supportive menopause policies. Her work will centre on driving awareness of issues surrounding menopause, from encouraging the creation of accommodating, compassionate environments to promoting the benefits of keeping women of menopausal age in the workplace.

Viewber was heartened to see positive change already taking place in the property sector. Menopause Matters is a new campaign initiated by Tanya Horscroft at property consultancy firm Vail Williams. Its first activity was an awareness course delivered by Nicola Green Consultancy – a specialist in menopause awareness for the workplace. The session was successful in developing a sense of empathy among senior managers, as well as arming them with the awareness, knowledge and tools required to support affected employees.

Viewber has been operating a menopause-friendly business model long before Davina McCall and the Government got involved. Our HQ has been working remotely since the company was started and our network of Viewbers have always been in control of when and where they work, with the ability to block out hours, days or even weeks when they are unable to take bookings.

Over time, however, we have become more progressive and active in how we support our HQ team and growing network. Viewber is an age-friendly employer and we cemented our ultra-inclusive status by signing the Age-Friendly Employers Pledge. This is a nationwide programme run by the Centre of Ageing Better, confirming our commitment to take more positive steps to improve our recruitment, retention and development of workers aged 50 and over.

Like Vail Williams, Viewber has already hosted a menopause-specific speaker. Kathryn Colas is an amazing advocate and expert on all things menopause, specifically on how companies can improve their support to those in this natural transition. She seeks to break the taboo surrounding the menopause, raising awareness of the specific challenges women face and encouraging senior managers to create their own certified menopause ambassadors.

Our acknowledgement of how the menopause affects our staff and putting in place

supportive policies is part of our more holistic approach to employment. Viewber will constantly evolve, learn and educate on all health, well-being and age-related matters, as looking after our team is of paramount importance.

Facts about the menopause

The average age for a woman to reach the menopause is 51
Women over 50 represent the fastest growing segment of the workforce, with a third of the working age population now over 50
1 in 100 women experience menopausal impact before the age of 40 
British Menopause Society revealed 45% of menopausal women felt the symptoms negatively impacted their work
Those with serious menopausal symptoms take an average of 32 weeks of leave from work
A People Management survey found 18% of women were looking to leave their jobs because of menopausal symptoms
When the CIPD questioned 2,000 employees experiencing menopause transition, flexible working was cited as the most helpful policy

Useful menopause resources

If you are interested in working with a menopause friendly team, or would like to explore becoming a Viewber for its accommodating flexibility, please contact us today. We’re also happy to share our experiences with other companies looking to create an in-house menopause champion