Bank of America has issued a first-of-its-kind (in the U.S., at least) report, Break Through the Stigma: Menopause in the Workplace. It contains lots of good information about the impacts of menopause on the workforce. Here are the report’s recommendations for companies:
- Talk about menopause openly and often to help increase awareness and understanding of menopause and create a culture of caring where women can feel more comfortable
to communicate their needs. - Offer manager training as well as educational sessions and resources specifically on menopause.
- Regularly engage employees in a dialogue about how your company can be more supportive of their needs and ask for feedback on the value of your benefits offering.
- Show you’re listening by following up on their requests.
- Create an employee network or peer support group focused on menopause, or introduce this topic to an existing group.
- Consult with professionals who specialize in menopause support to identify ways you might be able to add or enhance menopause-related programs and policies, such as:
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Access to clinically sound education and health platform
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Resources and advocates for guidance on symptoms, treatments, referrals and the management of physical and emotional impacts
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Provider-managed support groups
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Direct access to specialists on the menopause journey
Emily Gold Waldman (Pace), Naomi Cahn (UVa) and I have written about menopause at work (here and here), and we’re currently at work on a book on the many intersections of menopause and law, so it is interesting to see this issue getting some traction.
