To think that most company menopause policies are an absolute joke?

@JenniferAnistonsHair2023- I am so pleased for you. My workplace is also one of the good ones and trying loads of different initiatives to attract and retain older women (and plenty of other underserved demographics may I add). I am so pleased you found a new role with a more progressive company.

I just reread this thread to remind myself of the context and am still 😮 at some of the comments.

@JenniferAnistonsHair2023im really happy for you, great outcome! Did you bring up the menopause chat after your performance review?

@JenniferAnistonsHair2023how did was your situation resolved. I’m in a very similar position and losing my mind 😢

I'm sure there is some natural remedies for hot flushes, I want to say blackcosh but I could be talking shite.

@Zebedee55

Oh lucky you. I can’t take HRT due to mum, grandmother and an aunt dying of breast cancer.

I have such debilitating brain fog that I couldn’t do a report I’ve been doing every month for 12 years. I ended up going to my manager as I knew I was a couple of hundreds thousand £s out but couldn’t work out why. He spotted the error immediately. A basic stupid error.

I have hot flushes. They’re misnamed. I sweat. Big dripping sweats. The other day a colleague asked if it was raining when I arrived at work as my hair was plastered to my head. I actually drip. I hate it. It’s embarrassing and I’ve stopped going out socially.

Can you imagine how disruptive to work and life this can all be?

So yes I’d love to take a few different HRT methods and be done but life isn’t always that simple. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to work but we have a mortgage to pay so I struggle on.

No, she doesn’t, she enters post menopause after the menopause. Menopause comes with three stages. Peri or pre, then menopause, then post menopause, the latter lasts the rest of your life and is a distinct stage on its own.

https://www.summahealth.org/flourish/entries/2023/04/preparing-for-menopause-understanding-the-signs-and-symptoms-in-all-three-stages#:~:text=Menopause%20is%20divided%20into%20three,menstrual%20cycle%3B%20estrogen%20and%20progesterone.

Just to say Op, I'm with you on how difficult it can be to manage the symptoms. I'm going through the same. Ignore those women on here who have little to no understanding, they have no clue that symptoms can develop at anytime from peri until they die. A woman remains in menopause until she dies, no such thing as being 'through it' so they have no idea as to what is round the corner.

Statistically 25% of women describe their symptoms as severe. About 15% of those consider treatment, so way, way less than one in ten disabled by it like the op. As it would be only those where treatment didn’t work.

I guess that’s why the responses objecting are there, as over 90% of women are not unable to work like the op and don’t need adjustments, so they don’t want to be blanket singled out in thr workplace that they will reach a certain age and be unable to perform their roles and need adjustments for years. But all feel adjustments should be available for the small percentage of women who need it.

I really would like to know how many women are truly disabled from it. I went through an intense menopause resulting from breast cancer along with being on an Aramadase Inhibiter (Letrozole) which stops any peripheral fat from being converted into oestrogen. Breast cancer was hormone positive so no HRT for me and symptoms started overnight. I have had to cope with absolutely no medication as respite. It does amaze me how some women describe their symptoms given this. I do still work.

It’s not about wanting to quit. They are not quitting because it’s a positive life change, they’re quitting because menopause symptoms are not manageable within the (often male centric) framework of their roles. But in many cases a supportive workplace can find a way around this without detriment to the business, and enables them to retain good experienced employees. We accept that in pregnancy employees might need a different chair or other H&S accommodations- why not accept that in menopause an employee might need easier access to toilet rather than waiting on specific break times for example.

Which is (partly) why I used the word "can".

I am well aware that it is not listed in the Equality Act as a separate protected characteristic.

The other reason I used the word "can" is because for most women it isn't a disability, some women don't have symptoms, or nothing significant, and others find HRT works for them.

But some women are disabled by it and should receive support from their employers accordingly.

Ok just be sure that you’re not using meno as a way out of your underperformance issue. Your posts are all over the place. You’re struggling you’re not struggling. As a manager I don’t read your posts well. I read it as someone struggling and trying to find a reason.

so if you feel you’re appraisal is inaccurate, why are you looking at reasonable adjustments, and not just providing evidence as to your performance?

So are you saying that currently, you work 'slightly' more than your hours 28, over 4 days and are getting 100% of the work done? But not 35 hours? How's that measured? When you were told that you were underperforming, did you hit your objectives? What evidence was provided?

It's very difficult to measure performance in a senior management role I find because it's based on some vague measure that can be influenced by so many factors beyond your control. How your manager sees it isn't 'objective' but really dependent on their view of you.

Quite recently for example in my firm (although roles not people get made redundant!) we had someone let go, high performer, renowned in the industry, but others in his department just didn't like the innovation he was trying to bring and saw a golden opportunity with the current round of redundancies + he was in the process of handing over his current team to move roles. We were all quite shocked. My own boss almost left a few years ago because his own big boss just hated him and escaped by jumping to another team.

My point is I think you need to think more strategically about your current role, the team, how you fit into and where you see yourself going. If your manager's given you an unfair performance review (and I presume the company has clear standards to follow) you can raise a grievance. In terms of the work, certainly clarify the requires roles and responsibilities. But think more politically - is there anywhere else you can move to in the org with a manager that will actually treat you like a valued employee instead of ... this?

You definitely need to record this though. That you're being treated unfairly. Make sure to document everything. Are there any ERG's in the firm - if the general HR line is being unhelpful.

You consider detailed, thoughtful replies 'spam' at the same time ask other people to use their brains ... oh the irony! Looks like you do indeed need to take your own advice.

@PikachuChickenRice Menopause policies do more than deal with adjustments as other posters have pointed out. Please don’t bother replying to me; you’ve spammed the thread sufficiently already and I’m not your dearie.

It's a lot better than havin NO menopause policy or even awareness of this natural event in many working and otherwise women's lives. Just as increased Maternity Benefits/Pay and Shared Parental Leave is.

None of these 'measures' are perfect and need further development but they are all a step in the right direction towards 'female equality'.

Sometimes I worry that the very same patriarchy that 'allowed' the implementation of such 'female equality' provisions, because not all men are cunts after all; could easily shut down the whole shebang too.

I advocate a female 'strategy' of tread quietly but true to course.

PikachuChickenRice Sorry, I'm really struggling to follow your point which might be a me problem.

I hope it all works out for you OP.

Having RTFT it looks like the OP was hoping to use the menopause policy to cover herself, but she shouldn't have to. 80% hours 80% pay.
That aside in many professional jobs the concept of 'hours worked' doesn't apply. Mine states that I'll work an 'average' of 35 hours but also additional as expected by the needs of the job 'including weekends and public holidays' so really ... what's the point?
If you've always worked past your hours FT, and everyone else around you does the same (as I believe OP said in her previous post about her industry.) it makes no sense to magically expect to 'stick to your hours' when you go PT. Especially if you're senior management in such a large company.

Don't know what the answer is here but I've found for many things despite what policy etc says an unsupportive boss is always a major blocker... so many things stop with the line manager.

How senior people in my place handle it they move to another team/department with a better boss.

When OP expands she is talking about an unsupportive manager who expects her to work 100% FTE for 80% FTE pay. Menop challenges are just icing on the top. Unless 'someone else' would allow OP to do 80% work for 80% pay.