Theo Rasmussen· People Analytics Lead, Steinbach Industrie
Posted in Benefits & Wellbeing ·
UK public body, around 4,300 staff, 62% women and a median age of 47, so this is not a niche issue for us. We published a menopause policy in 2023 with the usual content: guidance for managers, reasonable adjustments, a statement of support.
A year on, eleven people had asked for an adjustment under it. Our own survey suggested about 900 were experiencing symptoms that affected their work.
In year two we stopped treating it as a policy and treated it as a benefit. We funded a specialist clinical consultation for anyone who wanted one, changed the absence system so related absence is recorded separately and does not count towards trigger points, and made uniform and desk-fan requests a no-approval purchase. I am interested in how others have approached it.
6 helpful · 3 insightful · 3 agree · 4 replies · 185 views · 6 following
HR Business Partner, Meridian Health Systems
The absence trigger change is the one I would copy first. In our NHS-adjacent organisation, fear of hitting a sickness review stage was the main reason people came to work unwell or used annual leave instead. We exclude it from triggers too and recorded absence in that category went up, which we treated as honesty rather than a problem.
Head of Reward, Bellwether Consulting
What was the take-up of the funded consultation and what did it cost? We are considering the same and our insurer excludes it from the medical plan as a natural life stage.
Head of Reward, Nordvik Energy
376 consultations in the first twelve months, so just under 9% of all staff and perhaps 40% of those affected. It cost about 190 pounds each including a follow-up. We bought it directly from a specialist provider rather than through the medical plan for the reason you mention.
Global Mobility Manager, Beacon Retail Group
A note of caution from someone who has done the same. Separate recording is helpful, but be careful who can see the category. We had a case where a manager's absence report showed the reason code and the employee had told nobody. We now show managers a generic code and hold the detail in occupational health only.
