If you are being negatively impacted by your menopause symptoms at work, there are people you can speak with to get support. Remember that you can also contact your GP at any point to discuss your health and wellbeing.
Speaking with your line manager
In the first instance, you may wish to raise any issues with your line manager. To ensure that the conversation is private and free of interruptions, it may be best to do this in a pre-arranged meeting – this could be during a one-to-one meeting or a separate meeting you have requested.
In the meeting, you can:
- discuss any work challenges that you are facing as a result of your symptoms
- explore possible work adjustments that you believe would help you in your work
- discuss if a referral to occupational health could be beneficial
- agree any potential actions or next steps.
In order to determine the most appropriate support, your manager may need to seek advice from an HR Partner or investigate the feasibility of specific work adjustments.
In all cases, details of your health should be treated confidentially and it will be for you to choose if you wish to share any details of your symptoms with anyone else in your team.
Speaking with alternative contacts
For many individuals, the menopause can be a very personal experience, and they may find it difficult to talk about it with their line manager, particularly in the early stages. In these circumstances, you may choose to reach out to an alternative contact in the first instance. Alternative contacts include:
- Your HR Partner (or other HR contact)
- A trade union representative
- An alternative manager in your department or work area
- A staff network contact
- The School’s Staff Counselling Service and/or Employee Assistance Programme, if you find that the menopause is negatively impacting your wellbeing.
If you do approach an alternative contact for support, please note that your line manager will need to be involved in agreeing any local support and work adjustments. If further guidance is needed in relation to this, advice can be sought from your HR Partner.
External contacts and resources
External support and guidance is also available. As well as your GP, there are a number of organisations who maintain resources and provide guidance in relation to the menopause. You can find the details of some of them here.
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