Today (7 June), the Civil Service signed the Menopause Workplace Promise, pledging to recognize the impact of menopause and to actively help women who are experiencing it.
The commitment, organized by the Wellbeing of Women organization, asks signatories to acknowledge the impact menopause can have, to establish open settings where people can talk about it, and to give active support for employees.
At a special occasion, ministers and senior civil employees signed the promise to demonstrate the Civil Service’s continuous commitment to supporting women in the workplace. The Civil Service has been the largest group to express its support.
The Civil Service employs 262,670 women, accounting for more than half of the workforce (54 percent ). Women now make up 48 percent of the Senior Civil Service, up from 35 percent in 2011. Civil officials have a median age of 45, which coincides with the perimenopause or menopause for many women.
Signing the Wellbeing of Women’s ‘Menopause Workplace Pledge’ demonstrates the government’s ongoing commitment to supporting women in the workplace, including by assisting in the creation of more inclusive workplaces that enable women of all ages to thrive.
It builds on existing support from the Civil Service, such as the Menopause in the Workplace Policy, which was launched in December 2021 and identifies ways that departments can help employees, such as by making workplace adjustments.
Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office, Heather Wheeler said:
“Women must feel able to talk about their health issues and know that they will be supported.”
“By recognising the impact that menopause can have, and creating an open culture free from embarrassment, we can ensure those women feel comfortable in the workplace and prevent the brightest from leaving the Civil Service.”
“Signing this pledge, alongside our ongoing commitment to supporting women in the workplace and the new Women’s Health Strategy, takes us one step closer to that goal, meaning better government and better public services for everyone.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said:
“For some women, the symptoms of the menopause can be extremely debilitating and it’s absolutely crucial they feel confident asking for support at work.”
“This pledge will ensure women working across the civil service feel supported. I encourage other businesses to do the same – big companies, such as Asda and Thames Water, are already joining us with this pledge to make sure their workplaces have menopause strategies in place.
This administration prioritizes women’s health, and initiatives to improve women’s health will be detailed in the first-ever government-led Women’s Health Strategy for England, which will be released soon. The government will nominate a Women’s Health Ambassador to promote awareness of taboo topics, raise the profile of women’s health, and assist the government in implementing the policy.
The government’s ambition for a healthcare system that prioritizes care based on clinical need, not gender – of which menopause will be a central part – will be reflected in the strategy, which will be based on analysis of nearly 100,000 responses to the call for evidence from women across the country.
The government has also established a Menopause Taskforce, chaired by Maria Caulfield, Minister for Women’s Health, and Carolyn Harris, MP, to look into the role of education and training, workplace policies, and peer groups for menopausal women in supporting women through what can be a mentally and physically challenging time.
Cross Government Menopause Network Sponsor and Deputy Permanent Secretary at HMRC, Angela MacDonald said:
Women make up half the UK workplace and make extremely valuable contributions day in, day out.
I’m very proud of the work being done across the Civil Service to ensure that we enable colleagues to receive the support that they need to flourish. Our new workplace policies and the signing of this pledge signals our visible commitment as an employer.
Mims Davies, the Minister for Employment, commissioned an independent report into menopause in the workplace last year, which resulted in a series of recommendations, and a government response outlining its plan for increasing menopausal women’s labor-force participation will be issued in the coming months.
This builds on the work done by the Department for Work and Pensions to engage employers across the country in improving working conditions for women transitioning through the menopause, such as amplifying examples of best practices and providing advice through their nationwide 50 Plus Champions network in Jobcentres, so that more businesses can recruit and retain women experiencing the menopause.
Minister for Employment, Mims Davies said:
“We’re absolutely committed to ensuring we have the support in place to recruit and retain women experiencing the menopause, including in the Civil Service, and last month we saw the number of women in the UK workforce rise by more than 58,000.”
‘Menopause is still a leading cause for women leaving the workforce, which is why I’m working with employers, and across government to improve the support in place for women in the workplace.”
Minister for Women’s Health, Maria Caulfield said:
“The menopause affects hundreds of thousands of women every year, but for some the symptoms of the menopause can seriously affect their daily lives, impacting them while at work.”
“Women are a vital part of the workforce and this pledge by the civil service shows what can be done by an employer to help women going through the menopause.”
“We’re continuing to level up women’s health and we have already launched a grant fund to support women in the workplace, set up the menopause taskforce and we will publish the first ever government-led Women’s Health Strategy.”
Chair of Wellbeing of Women, Professor Dame Lesley Regan said:
“The Civil Service is sending a powerful message – that women both need and deserve our support in the workplace. Women are often at their most productive and successful at this stage in their lives. Many are the breadwinners for their family and make essential contributions. It makes complete sense to provide simple, practical support to help keep them in the workplace.”