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

I agree with this. Menopause is not an illness in the same way that puberty isn't either. I've fought so hard to be treated as an equal in a man's world. We can't have it all ways.

I'm self employed so just have to get on with it. And that's as is should be.

There’s some depressing responses to this - “snowflake” - ffs!

The menopause can be really debilitating for a lot of women and thank god we have more discussion and public figures discussing this. Telling other women that they need to just crack in with it like they’re just shaking off a cold is shockingly unsympathetic.

Most of us do still carry on - despite some pretty shitty symptoms. We do try to manage it but there does need to be some recognition that it does affect you ability to work at the rate you could do if you weren’t going through it.

If it puts women in the workplace back, then that’s a problem with the system, not bloody women. Same with how having children can be perceived as putting you on a back foot with your career.

Women are fifty percent of the workforce and they come with a valuable skill set - minor adjustments to help them continue to work and to do that well is beneficial all round.

Honestly, some of the responses on here!

Yeah, I'm all up for the policies and workshops and work 'education.' If nothing else, it's helped normalise a biological process that many men and actually quite a few women know little about until it whacks you in the face.

I've spoken to wonderfully confident, brilliant women at my work who have been really impacted by a sudden loss of confidence in their abilities because of crippling anxiety or forgetting their train of thought in a sales pitch. Without the education, it can really undermine their careers. With the awareness and support, employers can help colleagues work through it and continue to access the wealth of experience and knowledge they bring.

I don't understand half these posters honestly, OP.

I have every sympathy for you @JenniferAnistonsHair2023 as I'm right in the thick of peri myself. I'm also a corporate employment lawyer so high pressure work plus awareness of the legalities.

Your manager can't do anything if he doesn't know. Think of the adjustment you need (you don't have to tell us on the thread) arrange a meeting with your LM, tell him the issues and your proposed adjustments. HR don't have a magic wand in these situations.

May I ask, have you gone through the menopause?

I’m shocked by some of the responses here. Total lack of empathy for the OP. Why can’t people be a bit more supportive. If you don’t agree, there are diplomatic ways of saying so.

Are you sure this is a menopause issue. The issue is that their expectations are unreasonable, that they want you to do a 5 day workload in 4 days.

I think you'll find if you talk to a male manager about it he's more likely to take it seriously, even if only because he's scared not to. From the responses here, I don't think you can automatically expect a sympathetic response from a woman.

The Leicester City Council tribunal mentioned above has only just started; the case is being supported by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, but still underway- worth keeping an eye on.
There was a case at the start of the week where a woman was awarded £37k for unfair treatment when affected by menopause. - her employer was appalling.

World menopause day is in a couple of weeks - 18 October.
We're having tea and cake in the office.

But take heart from the kind posters on here because there are more than a handful, they're just being drowned out by a few people who can't catch themselves on.

But the policy will be to talk to your manager in the first instance, so you haven't followed the policy and he can't if he doesn't know that's what you need.

I'm sorry this is happening to you when you asked for advice and needed support. Please do consider your options with regards to a union, or you could always ring ACAS if you really don't want to join one. I think getting proper legal advice on your position from people knowledgable about employment law would really help you know what next steps to take.

This thread has basically been taken over by people saying "you're wrong because I say you're wrong and anyone trying to actually help you is also wrong because I say so times one thousand can't say it back I WILL KEEP POSTING UNTIL YOU FLEE BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE YOUR THREAD." Some people are like that.

@Tara24 I disagree. Despite what you might know there's still plenty of people out there who don't know about perimenopause, what happens amd how it can be treated. For example I didn't know severe anxiety could be caused by perimenopause. A policy can be educational and it can be practical. For example it could set out potential adjustments that the company may consider (specific to circumstances obviously). It may allow a budget for private menopause advice (blood tests/HRT prescription).

Yes, the specific issues falls within 'disability' but surely you can see there are benefits in a properly thought out policy.

OP sorry you're having a hard time here. There are some really unpleasant posters here today. I think you're saying that you've reduced your hours and pay but there is no reduction in work and you're now being criticised for not doing more and that this is all happening at a time when you are physically and mentally far from ok. That's a really rough place to be. I work for the NHS and have to say that I find most of our wellbeing initiatives tokenistic - menopause policies included. I don't think your workplace is unusual and I expect their lack of care extends to people who can't work 60 hour weeks for other reasons. Is it time to look for a new job?

OP have you actually told your manager you're experiencing menopause and the side effects are impacting you? I can understand it may be difficult but I think that is an important first step and it's not clear from your post if you've actually spoken about it at all. To be honest if he's a typical 50 something male he may be absolutely desperate not to talk about it and may agree that e.g. you can develop a plan of reasonable adjustments with HR instead of him (do you have a union rep who might be able to help?)

Honestly if you think posting condescendingly will scare posters off your3 wrong. Might work in real life. But not on here. Pipe down there’s a dear.

Would it help if we pat you on the head, give you a cookie, and say "you win" in front of other people? Can the grownups talk about the actual issue in the post now please? Or do you need more points? Have a zillion so the people actually trying to help the OP can move on, there's a dear.

I'm 50 and female so yes I am posting from a position of knowledge. Most women do not need any special adjustments made for a normal biological process. In much the same way we didn't when we had periods.

There will be some women whose symptoms impact them , in which case they can take the same steps they would for any other medical issue which affects work ie time off sick or reduce hours.

All I am saying is we do not need a specific policy for this normal biological event, which prior to Davina and co was a bit of a pain in the arse for most women , but no more than that. It's now turned into yet another way to bash women down.

Reasonable adjusstments are made for pregnancy, quite rightly. That is also not a disability and its also just a biological process.

@JenniferAnistonsHair2023 what adjustments do you think would help? Genuine question. Later starts to help with insomnia? More home working?

No one is missing the point. She needs to say what reasonable adjustments she wants, so far she’s unable to articulate it.