HUNDREDS of thousands of civil servants will be given more rights at work, after the Government today signed a menopause pledge.
Ministers have committed to supporting the 260,000 women in the civil service, many of whom will be experiencing menopausal symptoms.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, has urged other companies to follow suit.
Sun publisher News UK, PwC, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Santander UK have already signed up.
The move is a win for The Sun’s Fabulous Menopause Matters campaign, which calls for better support of women working through “the change”.
One in four women suffer symptoms including hot flushes, brain fog, anxiety, depression and difficulty sleeping.
Menopausal symptoms start from the age of around 45 – the median age of women in the civil service currently.
They can last for several years, both before and after periods stop.
Mr 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.”
The Menopause Workplace Pledge was organised by the Wellbeing of Women charity and asks companies to recognise the impact the menopause can have on performance, and support women in keeping their jobs.
It calls for education of menopausal symptoms and open conversations about it, given it affects half the population at some point in their life.
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 embarassment, we can ensure those women feel comfortable in the workplace and prevent the brightest from leaving the Civil Service.”
This newspaper previously reported women’s health minister Maria Caulfield’s intentions to sign the pledge, in March.
The MP said: “We wouldn’t be asking employers to do this if we weren’t prepared to do the same ourselves.
“We really want women to feel they can ask their employer, ‘is there a menopause policy in place?’
“‘Am I entitled to take time off to ask my GP for HRT? Can we get fans, air conditioning or open a few windows, without having to be drenched in sweat first?'”
The signing builds on the Civil Service’s Menopause in the Workplace Policy launched in December 2021.
It identifies ways that departments can support employees such as by offering workplace adjustments.
The Sun’s Fabulous Menopause Campaign was launched in August 2021 to help end the suffering of women going through the transition, once and for all.
Its key aims include; menopause policy at every workplace, cut the cost of HRT, and raise awareness of symptoms.
In October, ministers vowed to cut the cost of repeat prescriptions of HRT, which will come into force in April 2023.
Source: The Sun
