Unison: The menopause is a workplace issue - guidance and model policy

UNISON members’ experiences
One UNISON member and activist reports:
“My experience with dealing with
the menopause issues was awful.
At the time I thought I was having a
nervous breakdown. I was struggling
to concentrate and work was all
getting too much.
My line manager at the time was a
very young man who I had to try and
talk to. At first I made up a reason
for going sick but soon realised I
needed to tell him the real reason
why I was off work. I sat in his office
sweating and feeling like I was old
enough to be his mother! He was
struggling to understand what I was
talking about so I suggested that he
go home and speak to his own Mum
and ask her about the menopause!
I eventually went to my GP who was
happy to prescribe HRT which has
helped a great deal.
We need to be raising awareness
and sharing information on the
issues and how they impact on
women with our line managers.”
Another activist explains: “Currently I’m
not menopausal, I’m perimenopausal
and some time ago when I worked
in a school as a teaching assistant
I would describe myself as very
perimenopausal! So the hot flushes,
severe anemia, palpitations meant
that I was exhausted, the lack of
sleep, I was physically weak, I had
no stamina and I got breathless just
by walking down the corridor in the
school. I was struggling to work.
What I like about our workplace
menopause policy is the self-help
part. I did see my GP... and with the
support of my colleagues at work, I
was able to manage the symptoms
until they got better.
Her colleague had a different experience:
“I underwent surgery at the age of
36 for health reasons so entered
an immediate menopause... What
I didn’t expect, what I wasn’t
prepared for was the psychological
symptoms and their effect on me.
I literally did not recognise myself.
Almost overnight I went from a
confident 30-something to feeling
lost, numb and anxious and that is
something I’ve never experienced
before. I’m lucky, after a couple of
months, some HRT, some self-help,
I started to feel like my old self again.
That’s not to say all the symptoms
disappear but you learn to manage
them.
But what made the world of
difference for me was the support
of my then line manager but also of
my colleagues, my friends and my
family. With their understanding I
felt confident and free, particularly
in the workplace to tell people how
I felt, to tell them I felt a little out of
sorts, or I’m popping outside just to
cool down, I didn’t need to look for
an excuse, I was able to be open
and honest to have that 5 minutes,
then come back and get on with my
working day.”
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