United Kingdom: leading firms pledge to offer menopause support

Since the start of the month various leading UK businesses – including supermarket giant Tesco, professional services firm PwC, health insurance company Bupa, publisher HarperCollins and bank Santander – have signed a public pledge to provide to support to staff going through the menopause. Under the Menopause Workplace Pledge – launched by the Wellbeing of Women charity and Hello! Magazine, and supported by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, a member of the British royal family – signatory firms recognise the difficulties that menopause can cause at work. They also commit to talking openly and positively about the topic within the company, as well as to supporting and informing staff that are affected. Professor Dame Lesley Regan, the British gynaecologist and chair of Wellbeing of Women, says: “Through supporting women, employers can help to attract and improve retention of staff, ensure a diverse and inclusive workforce, increase productivity, maximise employee wellbeing and address the gender pay gap.” According to Wellbeing of Women, nearly 900,000 women in the UK have quit their jobs due to the menopause. Last month, a UK parliamentary committee launched an inquiry to examine whether legislation and company practices adequately support women during this period of physical upheaval (see article n°12661).