Menopause in the Workplace5 1. Introduction Menopause is increasingly recognised as an important workplace issue: in summer 2017 alone, there were two high-profile reports on the topic,

Menopause in the WorkplaceWest Yorkshire Police

Management ReportFebruary 2018

Professor Carol Atkinson & Dr Jackie Carter

Decent Work and Productivity Research Centre

Menopause in the Workplace: West Yorkshire Police

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 5 1.1 Importance of the menopause transition 5

1.2 Menopause transition at WYP 6

1.3 Report objectives 7

2. Methods 8 2.1 Data collection 8

2.2 Survey participants 8

2.3 Data analysis 11

3. Results 12 3.1 About you 13

3.2 About your job 14

3.3 About your work environment 17

3.4 Your menopausal status 19

3.5 How you feel about the menopause 20

3.6 Your experience of the menopause 21

3.7 Support for menopause transition 34

3.8 Your wellbeing and job satisfaction 35

4. Conclusions and recommendations 39 Recommendations 41

5. References 43

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1. Introduction

Menopause is increasingly recognised as an important workplace issue: in summer 2017

alone, there were two high-profile reports on the topic, the first by the Government Equalities

Office (Brewis et al., 2017) and the second by Wales TUC (2017). Both reported on the

impact of and responses to women working through menopause transition. This emphasis

has continued into 2018 with a recent weeklong BBC Women’s hour series of menopause

discussions.1

Menopause has also been recognised as a serious issue within the police service, with a

detailed survey being published in 2006 (Griffiths et al., 2006) and a National Menopause

Action Group, chaired by the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, established to address

the issue at policy-level. Chief Constable Collins also championed the issue within the Police

Federation in 2016, recognising that if practice did not improve, the service was likely to lose

experienced and capable female members of staff. With better support through this normal

but often challenging stage in their lives, these staff could offer many more years of service.2

West Yorkshire Police (WYP) is one of a number of organisations developing support for

women in menopause transition (see section 1.2). This report will help shape how this work

is taken forward and how policies are established. It outlines the findings of a research

project that explored how menopause transition is experienced by WYP’s women workers

and considers both support for, and the attitudes that surround menopause transition.

1.1 Importance of the menopause transition

Menopause is a highly significant workplace issue, as older women form an increasingly

large proportion of the workforce: over 64% of women aged 50–65 are in employment (DWP,

2015), and, given that it typically occurs around age 51 and lasts four to eight years, a

significant number of these women will be in menopause transition (Brewis et al., 2017).

Menopause transition is a natural biological process during which menstruation ceases.

It creates physical symptoms, which include hot flushes, sleep disturbance, difficulty in

concentrating, anxiety and loss of confidence (Jack et al., 2014). While these symptoms vary

in severity and are not troublesome for all women, two-thirds of women report a moderate

to severe impact on their working lives and some even exit employment (Griffiths et al.,

2010). Up to 30% of women report that job performance is negatively affected (High and

Marcellino, 1994) and job satisfaction and wellbeing are often compromised (Brewis et al.,


1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05tpw79 (accessed 3 October 2019)

2. https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/crime/we-must-do-more-to-help-menopausal-police-officers-

says-yorkshire-chief-constable-1-7921171 (accessed 3 October 2019)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05tpw79

6

2017). Research centres on the difficulties and embarrassment experienced by women, with

menopause transition positioned as an occupational health issue (Griffiths et al., 2010; TUC,

2011; Jack et al., 2014). There is also some evidence of an impact on mental health; for

example, in January 2018 Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour commissioned a poll that found that 48%

of women experiencing the menopause reported that it had ‘a negative impact on their

mental health and mood.’3

While symptoms are important, and this report seeks to develop understanding of their

workplace impact, equally important are attitudes towards menopause transition in the

workplace (Jack et al., 2016). Griffiths et al. (2010) suggest that women often perceive

disclosure of menopausal status at work to be threatening and embarrassing. They go on

to suggest that menopause transition may not be viewed as a legitimate concern, exposing

women to ridicule and hostility when discussed with managers, and that the support and

empathy required to disclose are often lacking. Menopause is ‘a topic silenced by fear,

ignorance and revulsion’ (Coupland and Williams, 2002: : 442) and this is particularly so in

the workplace, where its acknowledgment may be career limiting (Atkinson et al., 2015) at

a time when older women already risk discrimination and becoming ‘invisible’ (Jyrkinen

and McKie, 2012). Yet attitudinal workplace research is extremely limited and developing

understanding is vital in influencing perceptions and challenging menopause’s status as a

‘taboo’ subject (Chrisler, 2013).

This report provides an evidence base for WYP, summarising the experiences of many of its

female staff and identifying how best the force could further develop appropriate support.

1.2 Menopause transition at WYP

In recent years, WYP has introduced a number of initiatives intended to support female

members of staff in menopause transition. These include Menopause Awareness Sessions

for line managers, information sessions and informal support groups for women, and leaflets

and posters. The HR team has also produced a Supervisors’ Toolkit, a library of documents

on the intranet and the iLearn system available for all staff to use as a resource. The service

also offers staff 1-2-1 assistance to prepare for the Job Related Fitness Test, and has recently

introduced specially designed uniforms that are intended to be more comfortable for women

going through transition. It actively encourages debate around the issue.


3. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/half-women-say-mental-wellbeing-suffers-resut-menopause-womans

(accessed 3 October 2019)

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1.3 Report objectives

This report examines women’s experiences of menopause transition while working at WYP.

Its specific objectives are to investigate:

• How women feel about menopause transition

• The prevalence and impact of menopause symptoms, identifying patterns across

specific groups

• Women’s perceptions of the attitudes of their managers/colleagues towards menopause

• What support is available and necessary

• The impact of menopause transition on women’s wellbeing and job satisfaction.

The report concludes with a series of recommendations of what could be done within WYP

to address the issues raised.

The research methods used to address these objectives are explained in section 2, followed in

section 3 by detailed findings and analysis. Section 4, the final section, presents conclusions

and recommendations.


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2. Methods

The research team, based at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, worked

with a menopause lead contact at WYP to plan and conduct the research project, details of

which are outlined below.

2.1 Data collection

Data were collected via an online survey, deemed the most appropriate method in that

it facilitated access to all women working at WYP and was not too time-intensive for

participants. The research team designed the survey using existing, validated instruments,4

in combination with WYP requirements. Questions were for the most part forced-choice,

generating numeric data. There were also a number of open format boxes that allowed

participants to provide further information in their own words. A substantial amount of rich,

qualitative data was gathered in this way.

The survey used was piloted in a previous project, with Greater Manchester Police, with

a couple of minor changes to meet the needs of WYP. WYP distributed the survey link via

email to all women workers, as segmentation by age was not possible for data protection

reasons. Those aged 40 and over, many of whom were likely to be in menopause transition/

post-menopause, were invited to complete the survey. Certain questions were relevant only

to those in menopause transition/post menopause and those pre-menopause were asked to

leave blank. A small number of women aged under 40 and in menopause transition sought,

and were given permission, to complete the survey. Data collection took place in November

and December 2017 and the survey was hosted on Manchester Metropolitan University’s

servers. Ethical approval was gained via Manchester Metropolitan University’s research

governance processes.5

Aggregated responses are reported here; no individual participant is identifiable and, for

reasons of confidentiality and anonymity, WYP does not have access to the raw data.

2.2 Survey participants

As at December 2017, there were 4,236 women working for WYP, 2207 whom were aged 40

and over (52% of the female workforce).6 Figures for women engaging with the survey and

decisions made for inclusion/exclusion of their responses in the analysis were:

4. Details available upon request from the research team.

5. http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/research/our-research/ethics-and-governance/ethics (accessed 3 October 2019)

6. HR data was taken 31 December 2017 and does not include volunteers, agency workers or external employees;

but it does include special constables.

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• 924 people accessed the online survey.

• 199 people completed only the first section of the survey, or less, and were excluded.

• 1 response was from a woman aged under 40 who did not experience any menopausal

symptoms. This was excluded.

• 724 women completed the majority of the survey, and their responses have been used in

the analysis described below.

The final sample is thus 724, an excellent response rate of almost 33%, which provides a

high degree of confidence in the findings and conclusions drawn.

It is worth noting that the demographics section was the one most often uncompleted.

This perhaps relates to the sensitive nature of the subject and a concern that participants

could be identified. Responses are much lower, around 580, for the demographics questions

than for the questions relating to menopause transition, around 724. Numbers answering

questions (N) are thus specified, where relevant, in each section.

Participants engaged from all branches/divisions across WYP, with highest responses from

Bradford, Leeds and Wakefield, as well as Protective Services Crime and Operations, with

lower numbers from other areas and sections (figure 1). Response rates across the branches/

divisions are broadly reflective of the proportions of the female workforce employed in them,

although Wakefield is somewhat over-represented.

The spread of participants across ranks and grades again broadly reflects the WYP female

workforce. Most officer participants were sergeant/constable rank, although constables are

slightly under-represented and no Specials completed the survey despite forming around

2% of the over 40 female workforce. Representative proportions of senior police staff and

police staff completed the survey (figure 2). These figures again provide a high degree of

confidence in the findings and conclusions drawn in this report.

It is important to understand these patterns as numerous participants noted that the branch/

division they worked in could influence their experiences of menopause transition:

‘The same supervisor constantly makes remarks to myself about being in the menopause,

because I have hot flushes. They don’t actually care that you tell them not to, its just

seen as ‘a laugh’ and you’re fair game to poke fun at, which absolutely destroys your

confidence.’

Relatively few women linked experiences to their rank/grade, though patterns by officer/staff

roles in relation to wearing of uniform were apparent and are explored later (Section 3.6).

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There are also very clear differences between the working conditions of police officers and

PCSO staff, who may be out ‘on the beat’ for much of their working day, and are also expected

to work shifts, and office based staff who can work more flexibly, if workloads permit.

Figure 1: Participants’ Branch or Division

Figure 2: Participants’ Rank or Grade

(N=575)

(N=569)

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7. Full details are available from the research team.

2.3 Data analysis

Survey completions were captured in Excel and then uploaded to specialist software, SPSS,

for further analysis. Descriptive statistics are presented in figures and tables throughout

the report and illustrated where appropriate with quotes from participants, all of which are

italicised. Comparisons of groups were undertaken using Anova tests and factor analysis

was conducted to identify underlying patterns in the menopause symptoms.7 In each section

below the number of respondents has been stated for each question (N=x).

26 pages of qualitative comments were downloaded from the open question in the survey,

plus shorter comment sections after some of the earlier questions. This material was coded

very simply using the following themes:

Table 1: Key themes identified in the qualitative data

Negative experiences with line manager 33

Positive experiences with line managers 12

Challenges linked to operational issues 27

Experiences of symptoms 62

Over-emphasis of menopause within WYP 13

Positive comments about WYP response 30

Other (e.g. those facing early menopause) 18

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3. Results

This section first presents demographic data about individual women, their job roles and

menopausal status. These data are important in understanding the make up of the sample

and inform detailed analysis of patterns in participants’ responses. Women’s attitudes to and

experiences of menopause transition are then considered, presenting analysis of symptoms

and how these vary by particular groups. Willingness to disclose being in menopause

transition and the support needed/available are also considered. Finally, data is presented

on the impact of menopause transition on women’s wellbeing and job satisfaction.

3.1 About you

Participants were asked to provide basic demographic information, so the researchers could

contextualise survey responses. e.g. caring responsibilities, to provide insight into the

sample’s make-up. As noted above, not all participants provided demographic data. As

might be expected, the majority of participants were aged 45 and over (figure 3), with

approximately 15% in early menopause transition aged 44 or younger. Around two thirds were

aged 45–54. Presuming that many women will not retire until 65, most have a substantial

proportion of their working lives ahead of them and investment in support for them could

reap significant benefit.

Figure 3: Participants’ Age Figure 4: Participants’ Marital Status

(N=586) (N=586)

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Most participants were married or cohabiting, with smaller numbers separated or single

(figure 4). All participants fell into one of nine of the 21 ethnic categories offered and

the overwhelming majority described their ethnicity as White British (figure 5). This is

representative of the WYP female workforce in this age group, 95% being White British.

Figure 5: Ethnicity of respondents

(N=580)

Almost half of participants (44%) had dependent children living at home (N=580), whilst

23% had caring responsibilities for other adults (N=582). This reflects the wider caring

responsibilities of many older women who manage their menopause transition whilst in

paid employment.

In summary, individual demographic data demonstrate that the women participating in the

study were, as anticipated, mainly aged over 40, married or cohabiting and of White British

heritage. Approximately half also had some form of caring responsibility.

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3.2 About your job

Participants were asked about characteristics of their jobs, again to provide insight into

the make up of the sample and to support analysis of whether experiences of menopause

transition differed across particular job characteristics, e.g. wearing uniform or working shifts.

The participant group consisted of 30% police officers and 65% police staff (Figure 6), with

the balance being PCSOs and volunteers. This broadly reflects the make up of WYP’s female

workers which is divided approximately one third/two thirds between the officer and staff

groups. Subsequent analysis focuses on these two groups, as the PCSO and volunteer

participant groups were too small to support detailed analysis.

Figure 6: Participants’ Job Role at West Yorkshire Police

(N=587)

N Yes No Occasionally

Do you wear uniform? 580 33.4% 66.6% –

Do you wear body armour? 581 7.9% 74.2% 17.9%

Do you work shifts? 580 35.3% 64.7% –

Do you work 30 hours or more per week?

583 82.5% 17.5% –

Table 2: Key Characteristics of Participants’ Jobs

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Table 2 summarises the available data regarding certain key characteristics of police officer

roles, and reflects the afore mentioned one third/two third split in the sample. Thus just

over one-third of participants wore uniform, and a similar proportion sometimes or always

wore body armour. Later sections of the report return to this, to consider how this influences

experiences of menopause transition (section 3.6).

The proportion working 30 or more hours/week, 82.5%, is substantially higher than would

be typically found for women of this age range.

Figure 7: Length of time in current role Figure 8: Length of time with WYP

(N=575-7)

These charts demonstrate a very stable workforce, with many respondents recording long

service in both their current role and with WYP. Whilst 60% had worked for five years or

more in their current role (figure 7), almost 90% had worked for WYP for five years or longer

(figure 8) and over 80% had longer than 10 years’ service. Given that most had many years

of working life ahead of them (figure 3) and, on the basis of this data, many seem likely to

remain in WYP’s employment, investment in their support is again likely to be beneficial to

both the women and their employer.

Most participants (82%) worked 30 hours or more per week, which is typically considered

to be full-time work (see figure 9). There is a slight inconsistency in the data, in that in

the question about flexible working, 22% indicated that they worked part-time, but this

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could be those working more than 30 hours but less than the 40 hours for officers or 37.5

for staff per week that constitute full time hours at WYP. The proportion of staff working

full-time is much higher than the typical national levels of around 40% for women of this

age (Powell and Mor, 2017), which may reflect cultural resistance within the organisation to

the uptake of flexible working (see section 3.7). Over a third of participants worked shifts,

which is commonly associated with difficulties in managing menopause transition which is

supported by qualitative but not quantitative data in this survey.

Figure 9: Use of flexible working options

(N=584)

Two thirds of participants used at least one flexible working option (figure 9 – a multi-answer

question – 403 responses with 639 options selected) with flexitime and agile working being

the most popular (albeit WYP’s core hour flexitime hours of 8.30am–4.30pm do not offer

substantial flexibility). Neither require the reduction of working hours, again suggesting that

the majority of staff work full-time, an a-typical pattern for female workers in this age group.

Patterns across police officer and staff groups are also apparent, with 65% of police officers

not accessing any flexible working option, as opposed to only 25% of police staff.

Of those that did work flexibly (N=403), almost two thirds did so for work/life balance

reasons and a third due to caring responsibilities (Figure 10). Analysis of the comments left

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by those ticking ‘other’ are also revealing, with 34 of the 46 responses viewing flexitime as

serving the purposes of the organisation rather than their own needs. Comments such as

‘required to do it because of lack of desks and hotdesking’ or ‘flexitime comes with the role –

no choice’ are typical.

Figure 10: Reasons for using flexible working options

(N=403)

In summary, approximately one third of the sample were police officers, most of whom wore

uniform and, to a lesser extent, body armour. The remainder were police staff, who were

more likely to be office based. A high proportion of participants had many years of service,

and the majority worked full-time. Around one third worked shifts and two thirds used

flexible working options, although mainly those that did not require reductions in working

hours. Patterns in the data across these characteristics are explored and, where evident,

discussed in the following sections.

3.3 About your work environment

Previous studies have suggested that the sex and age of a woman’s line manager can often

influence her decision to disclose her menopausal status (Griffiths et. al. 2006). In this

study, participants were asked about their work environment to support our analysis of its

influence on their experiences of menopause transition. Just under half of participants (46%)

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had a male manager, 52% had a female manager and others preferred not to say (N=580). In

total, over three quarters of participants’ line managers were aged 40 and over, with a third

over 50 (figure 11).

Figure 11: Age of line manager Figure 12: Male/female ratio in the team

Just over one fifth of participants worked in a male dominated environment, whilst almost

one third worked in evenly balanced teams, leaving just under half in female-dominated

teams fFigure 12). Participants indicated that access to at least some female colleagues was

important in managing menopause transition:

‘There are 3 or 4 ladies of a similar age in the office. We are all experiencing menopause

issues and are lucky that, although we have a male presence, we talk about it openly. Yes

we do laugh at and with each others experiences, as we have been together as a group

for a good few years, we understand each other.’

Although some of the open questions were positive about the efforts that have been made

at WYP to improve responses to menopause transition, it was clear that this is not always

the case, as evidenced by this particularly distressing account:

‘I intend to apply for a flexible shift due to the symptoms I am experiencing. I find that

night shifts make me anxious, extremely fatigued and I cannot recover from 24/7 shifts in

the way that I used to. I expect resistance to this request, to the extent that I have seen

(N=581) (N=573)

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a nurse and GP… to ensure that I have support and what work would accept as a ‘good

reason’ for requesting exemption from night duty.

I expect work to see menopause as just something I need to accept and get on with, or a

poor reason for requesting flexitime. The possibility that my request will be refused, and I

will have to continue to work nights, fills me with anxiety and I am actually close to tears

just typing this!’

Similarly, the gender profile of the team is likely to be relevant to women’s willingness/

ability to disclose menopausal status and request support. These patterns are again further

analysed in what follows.

3.4 Your menopausal status

Participants were asked for menstruation details in order to determine menopausal status.

There are no widely accepted definitions of menopausal status (Brewis et al., 2017) and this

report adopts pre-, peri- and post-menopause as status categories, determined by last date

of menstruation (table 3).

I have had a menstrual period in the last…

Menopausal status

Participants N

Participants %

N/A Pre-menopausal 49 6.8

3 months Peri-menopausal 199 27.6



None of these Post-menopausal 385 53.4

Table 3: Menopausal status

(N=581)

In line with standard definitions, pre-menopause relates to those experiencing regular

menstrual periods and 248 participants potentially fell into this category, having had

a menstrual period in the previous 3 months. However, in a later section of the survey,

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some of these participants reported symptoms (199 of the 618 who reported symptoms)

indicating that 199 of this group of 248 were in fact also peri-menopausal, which is typically

recognised by irregular menstruation. A peri-menopausal category was also assigned to

those who had had a period within the previous 9-12 months (N=38). Post-menopause, a

state where menstrual periods having ceased for longer than 12 months, applied to just

over half of participants (N=385). Menopause symptoms can continue for some years during

post-menopause and, even where these had ceased, women were asked to report previous

experiences when in menopause transition. Final figures for menopausal status were: 385 in

post-menopause, 287 in peri-menopause and 49 in pre-menopause.

3.5 How you feel about the menopause

Participants were asked about their attitudes towards menopause (figure 13). Around three-

quarters agreed that menopause is a natural life stage and a release from having to think

about contraception, but only one quarter saw it as a positive new life stage. Most saw it as

a sign of ageing and around a third felt less attractive. 55% felt prepared for it, so many were

not, and just over one third felt it was not something to be talked about at work.

Figure 13: Menopause is…

(N=709–721)

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The data present a reasonably positive view on menopause, which is reflected in some of

the qualitative comments:

‘I am reluctant to see the menopause medicalised since it is a natural process’

‘I did not have a difficult time at all, learned to live with the hot flushes, taking evening

primrose and eating pumpkin seeds helped’

‘I know we worry about the menopause but with age hopefully comes maturity, wisdom

and greater self assurance which has helped me cope.’

However the graph also reveals that a substantial minority of participants do not feel

prepared for the menopause, despite WYP’s considerable efforts in this regard, suggesting

that there is still scope for further work to raise awareness of the issue and also to make it

an acceptable topic of conversation. As one participant noted:

‘You don’t realise what menopause really is until you are in it… It completely changes you

as a person and affects every aspect of life making some of it quite a struggle. I know

many very resilient women who have been completely floored by it to the point where

they have given up work.’

Relationships between more positive attitudes and better wellbeing are evidenced later

(section 3.8), again lending weight to support in developing and/or maintaining positive

attitudes towards menopause. This is particularly so in the workplace, as some participants

were concerned that the increasing attention paid to the issue could have negative

consequences:

‘There is more emphasis on the menopause at the moment, it seems an ‘in’ term, and I

think if this goes too far it will be detrimental to women. We have fought hard for equality

but people will start to think women between the ages of 50–60 are less able to do their

work, and a group apart. I don’t believe this to be so in the majority of cases.’

3.6 Your experience of the menopause

Participants were asked about their experiences of menopause transition. This was measured

by the degree to which they were ‘bothered’ by well-recognised symptoms. The data

suggest that many women experienced and were bothered by numerous symptoms (figure

14). Sleep disturbance and fatigue were the most common, closely followed by poor memory,

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poor concentration and irritability. Also bothersome to many were hot flushes, night sweats

and feeling low and depressed. All these symptoms might be expected to have negative

workplace effects. Other common symptoms, for example, weight gain may be problematic

for those wearing uniforms and body armour (see figure 15). A small number of participants

noted that they were unsure whether their symptoms related to menopause or were part of

ageing more generally or some other health issue. While a survey of this nature does not

permit more detailed examination of this, the participants were nevertheless experiencing

bothersome symptoms, whether through menopause or general ageing.

Staff whose job role required them to spend long periods of time out in the community

faced particular practical challenges, and many felt that despite considerable efforts to raise

awareness of menopause issues, often these logistical issues had still not been addressed:

We are placed on sceneguards which can be for up to 8 hours – during this time there is

no access to drinks or more importantly toilets. I have experienced some embarrassing

situations whilst doing these. The force do not want to address this and come up with

impracticable solutions such as we can… provide a large van to the scenes with a toilet on

board (everyone knows there is not enough staff to do this – why doesn’t the driver just

come and let you off the scene for a break).

‘It often feels that the force is talking about good practice but not putting it into practice.’

Staff in office-based roles reported that the emotional issues are often more challenging:

‘I supervise a team of operational officers (mostly male) and at times feel I lose credibility

(maybe perceived wrongly) when I have had little sleep or experience symptoms of

menopause such as lack of concentration, hot flushes, poor memory. All these combine to

contribute to my decision making and raise my anxiety levels which is happening more

often. I feel ill equipped to do my job sometimes as a result.’

‘Going through menopause makes you feel like you are going mad. No matter how much

you try and laugh it off, it makes you feel like you are not the same person. Being at work

and having to concentrate sometimes drains the life from you… being constantly tired is

the worst. I get the overall general opinion that supervisors/managers (who are usually

male) think its just life and women should get on with it. It’s just not that easy sometimes.’

Analysis was also conducted to explore patterns of bothersome symptoms across particular

job characteristics using Mann-Whitney U8 tests and in some cases, significant (i.e. not

8. Detailed statistics are available upon request from the research team.

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Figure 14: Bothered by menopausal symptoms

(N=641–668 total responses to symptom questions;

N=483–496 responses selecting scale points 4–6. Percentages reflect those reporting level of

bother 4–6 on a scale of 1–6, selected by a minimum of 10% of participants.)

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arrived at by chance) differences were found. Of particular note were differences between

those who wore uniforms and those who did not, with those wearing uniforms being

significantly more bothered by 23 identified symptoms than those who did not (figure 15).

Participants also reflected difficulties caused by wearing uniforms in the qualitative data:

‘The stab vest is another issue, when you are having a hot flush and wearing this is awful’

‘As a PSCO I have nowhere to go to take my kit off when out on district having a hot flush…

I have to travel back to the office to remove layers of clothing to get comfortable. I go

through 2–3 shirts a shift and when I attend meetings I will not take off my vest or fleece

if I have sweat marks on my uniform from hot flushes.’

Some noted that WYP had made efforts to accommodate menopausal women in their uniform

options, but suggested that caution was needed in this as their status could be highlighted

and discomfort caused by these options:

‘I was looking forward to receipt of the new ‘menopausal’ uniform provided at work

however, felt very let down when I eventually saw it. The work shirts provided are so

faded that they stand out as ‘different’ uniform – they may as well have been stamped

‘menopausal woman’ on the rear! The material is lovely and does help but they are faded

grey in colour when everyone else wears black.’

Differences between groups were also apparent when considering working patterns, although

these were less clear cut. Those working shifts were significantly more bothered by certain

symptoms including panic attacks, tearfulness, irregular periods, palpitations, irregular or

racing heart and breast pain. However for many other symptoms the difference was not

clear cut: shift workers gave higher scores for 20 of the symptoms listed, whilst the non-shift

workers gave high scores for the other 19.

Factor analysis was conducted to explore possible inter-dependencies between symptoms

and identify any underlying or latent variables.9 Bothersome symptoms formed into three

clear groups: primary symptoms, physical outcomes and psycho-social outcomes (table 4),

although some of the most typical menopause symptoms, such as hot flushes and night

sweats, did not appear as key factors as might be expected.

Grouping the symptoms in this way makes it easier to manage the very long list of symptoms

associated with menopause transition, which then facilitates more detailed analysis to draw

9. Detailed statistics are available upon request from the research team.

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Figure 15: Bothersome symptoms by uniform/non-uniform wearers

(N=641–668 total responses to symptom questions;

N=483–496 responses selecting scale points 4–6. Percentages reflect those reporting level of

bother 4–6 on a scale of 1–6, selected by a minimum of 10% of participants.)

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Primary symptoms Physical outcomes Psycho-social outcomes

Irregular periods Hair loss Poor concentration

Heavy periods/flooding Allergies Fatigue

Changes in odour Poor memory

Burning tongue Feeling low/depressed

Electric shocks Lowered confidence

Digestive problems Sleep disturbances

Gum problems Irritability

Tingling extremities Mood swings

Osteoporosis Anxiety

Hearing loss Panic attacks

Tearfulness

Table 4: Menopausal symptom factors

out useful insights. As demonstrated in figure 14, psycho-social outcomes were amongst

the most bothersome symptoms, followed by primary symptoms and then, to a much lesser

extent, physical outcomes. These groups are used in later analysis to explore relationships

with job satisfaction and wellbeing (section 3.8).

Participants’ views were sought on what menopause means for how they view their own

workplace performance and the perceptions of others (figure 16 overleaf). Although this

chart shows that a relatively small proportion of participants (25%) felt that their experience

of menopause transition was directly impacting on their performance, it does suggest that

many are only achieving this at considerable personal cost. Over half of respondents report

that they had to make more effort to maintain job performance, and many felt that their lives

were harder to manage. 15% report that they feel that managers and colleagues see them as

less competent because of their status (though 20% strongly disagreed with this statement).

These concerns help to explain into why only 37% of participants (N=596) had told their

manager they are/were in menopause transition. Participants who did not disclose were

27


asked to give their reasons (figure 17). Just under half of the 63% who didn’t disclose were

clear that their experience of the menopause had no impact on their work, correlating with

the 46% who disagreed with the statement in figure 16 that ‘menopause has meant I do my

job less well.’ However this still leaves a significant minority who have not disclosed their

situation despite recognising that it has affected their workplace performance. Reasons

given for non-disclosure include the gender and age of the line manager, not knowing the

line manager well enough and concerns that participants would be seen by managers and

colleagues as less competent. 48% participants had a male manager, the regression analysis

here supports other studies (Griffiths et al., 2010), that this inhibits disclosure (since 42%

agreed that having a male manager affected their decision not to disclose, whilst only 21%

felt the same way about their female manager) i.e. participants were more likely to disclose

to a female line manager.

Qualitative data supports this, where disclosure was frequently linked to the gender of

manager/colleagues:

‘Working on a mainly male team there appears little acceptance of the impact of menopause

on women in the workplace, it is a matter which is not discussed and I feel male colleagues

/supervision are possibly embarrassed about discussing this with female staff which in

turn leads female staff to feel isolated with their issues.’

Figure 15: Menopause has meant…

(N=599–605)

28


‘Whilst I know that WYP do provide information in relation to the menopause, I strongly

believe that many male supervisors or younger female supervisors do not understand or

appreciate the effects of the menopause.’

‘Whilst my line manager is approachable and understanding to a point, he is a young male

and does not really understand the impact that this can have on me.’

Figure 17: Reasons for not disclosing menopause to line manager

(N=318–353)

The data reveal that in spite of the considerable efforts made by WYP, for example, training

managers about the issue, a substantial proportion of the workforce are still struggling to deal

with realities or perceptions of menopause transition:

‘At this moment I wouldn’t feel that I would be able to discuss some of these matters once

they arose even if I felt I needed help at work. I work in a small team in a small office and

confidentiality isn’t a priority.’

‘My line manager isn’t someone who I would trust to discuss the affect of peri-menopause

with, he is not understanding and would definitely see me as weak. I needed to dash out for

29


sanitary products and he was not understanding and said I was shopping on company

time. He is awful in all honesty.

‘I do not feel supported by West Yorkshire Police, I don’t feel anyone understands and it’s

seen as a laugh when I get a hot flush.’

The other significant reasons given by participants for non-disclosure were that menopause

transition was private and personal and that disclosure was embarrassing:

‘I would not feel comfortable asking other supervisors (male) on my team for support or

adjustments because of menopause. I don’t know them very well but, I don’t feel they

would be sympathetic to having to make adjustments for me due to “women’s problems”!

My own supervisor, who is female, however, is supportive and sympathetic.’

‘All WYP supervisors are supposed to be menopause trained. However in my recent

experience one member of staff in the menopause was treated appallingly over menopause

related issues by three young male supervisors and then she felt unable to approach them

with future highly personal and embarrassing menopause related issues. She ended up

going off sick with stress.’

Although some of the women who chose not to disclose may have been fortunate to

experience few symptoms, others are likely to have faced much more serious challenges but

remained silent, either because of embarrassment or because they were afraid they would

be seen as less competent. Participants were more likely to disclose where the primary and

psycho-social symptoms were more bothersome, suggesting difficulties in non-disclosure.

Indeed, not disclosing was strongly associated with reduced wellbeing, suggesting that

providing an environment where disclosure is possible would be of clear benefit.

In WYP, the Chief Constable has led awareness raising of menopause related issues, and

as a result, there are information sessions, both for women and for managers, as well as

support groups and special uniforms. This ‘up front’ campaign was appreciated by many

respondents:

‘Staff are more open about the menopause at the moment, which is good as it is a natural

(but previously hidden) part of a woman’s life. I put this down to the Chief Constable

being female and driving the issue, I cannot imagine that it would have entered any male

Chief Constable’s mind.’

30


Although there were plenty of negative comments about managers’ responses to the issue,

several respondents also gave positive feedback, suggesting that the training sessions were

having some effect:

‘The menopause is treated fairly lightly at work and the good use of ‘banter’ is breaking

down taboos on the subject. I would feel perfectly at ease speaking to my colleagues and

line managers as we are a close knit team.’

‘My Sgt. has been fantastic and helped me to cope with this and other issues. Supportive,

compassionate and understanding.’

‘My main trouble was lack of sleep and feeling tired the next day and having migraines.

Having a female manager who understood this and was sympathetic was a god send.’

However a substantial minority of participants raised concerns about the force’s menopause

initiative, highlighting the importance of on going liaison with female employees, to ensure

that measures introduced to help them were not seen as counterproductive:

‘I found the recent flood of literature displayed around buildings very embarrassing

and unnecessary. I have not yet entered the menopause … but the very negative and

demeaning slant was not encouraging … This is supposed to be a natural occurrence in

a women’s life and most of us are intelligent enough to seek support should we require it,

at an appropriate time of my choice.

‘It can be hard enough for females, in what is still a very male dominated environment,

without having to sit through meetings with them listening about vaginal dryness

amongst others.’

‘I feel that we have moved too far towards making menopause an issue. It is a stage in

life that all women will go through. I had been through the menopause several years ago

without any issues either for myself or in the workplace. I was younger than average and

am now at a ‘more common age’ and feel as if I am being looked at and offered support

when I don’t need it. I feel like there is an expectation that my work will suffer because I’m

of a certain age and that isn’t the case. I don’t want to be force fed menopause literature

and support when I don’t need it. So long as we have clear signposting and support

for those that do need it that should be sufficient. I don’t want to feel stigmatised just

because of my age.’

31


Others pointed out that although the training and support sessions were welcomed by many

women, the force was still reluctant to face up to the logistical challenges faced by peri- and

post-menstrual women, particularly where doing so might require a more substantial rethink

of mainstream policing operations:

‘I find that the lack of flexibility when it comes to the fitness testing a real problem. It

means I get injured simply trying to maintain the required high level of fitness… if I say

anything I will be ‘punished’ by being moved from the front line because there is a myth

that you need to be superhuman to answer 999 calls when in fact the vast majority of the

time you need maturity and patience.’

‘At the time when my symptoms were at their worst I worked in the customer contact

centre. I was not allowed to leave my desk without permission. Sometimes I was very

distressed as I would be having a severe hot flush and was not allowed to leave my desk

to cool off. Only a certain amount of people were allowed a break at any one time. In the

same environment I was not allowed a fan as we ‘hot-desked’ and sometimes I would

find myself next to a radiator.’

The survey also asked participants to identify any coping strategies or tactics that they had

adopted to cope with their experience of menopause transition (figure 18).

Adding up the percentages who ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that particular tactics are helpful

enables us to rank the most popular ones in table 5. This shows that the most popular

strategies were practical steps such as getting more information about menopause and

making notes and lists, as well as wearing suitable clothing and ensuring that buildings

allowed their occupants to control temperature, e.g. by opening windows. Many participants

also favoured ‘joking/trying to look on the bright side’, and exercising, although more

supportive approaches such as talking to other women were also popular.

WYP already provides some relevant workplace support, including running Menopause

Awareness Sessions and providing a library of documents on the intranet as well as the

iLearn system that is available for all staff to use as a resource. This support was generally

appreciated:

‘Female members of staff can have uniform which is better designed for women who

are suffering menopause symptoms, elasticated waisted trousers, lightweight shirts etc.

which is great!’

32


‘I am happy WYP is now talking about this issue… It’s a good thing that this is being

discussed… In a male dominated environment you are easily dismissed’

‘I think having local support groups can offer a lot of help and guidance. We have one… and

it has provided me with lots of support. I thought I was completely losing my marbles

and struggling with some of the symptoms (hot flushes, tiredness, being grumpy, mood

swings) and it’s nice to know why. It doesn’t make them go away, but does help explain

why and also give you the support needed so you don’t feel alone.’

‘A male colleague attended a menopause seminar for men which was run by HR I believe

(he probably knows more about it than most women now).’

Making notes and lists 74

Getting more information 72

Joking about it/trying to look on the bright side 71

Wearing appropriate clothing 69

Cooling down 68

Exercise 68

Talking to other women 62

Double checking my work 61

Talking to someone about my feelings 56

Getting more sleep 54

Choosing tasks according to my tiredness level 52

Changing diet 47

Immersing myself in non-work activities 35

Changing working hours 34

Ignoring it/distracting myself 33

Avoiding interactions with others 22

Taking time off work 20

Table 5: % respondents who ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ that a coping strategy is useful:

33


Figure 18: Ways to cope with menopause symptoms

(N=5

28–

542)

34


3.7 Support for menopause transition

Participants were asked firstly whether particular forms of support would help them to

manage their menopause transition, and secondly to confirm whether or not this was

currently available in their workplace. They were then asked to rank the top five most

important forms of support. Top priority was raising managers’ awareness of the issue

(despite provision of training sessions), followed by improved ventilation and improving

access to flexible working.

Figure 19: Availability of workplace support

(N=212–261)

Figure 19 suggests that WYP has made some improvements to its HR practices, since well

over half of respondents agreed that most of the possible personal support structures were

already in place (though leaving a significant minority who disagreed).

Access to ventilation/temperature control was the only outstanding issue flagged by more

than half of respondents, possibly because it would require additional investment to alter

buildings and infrastructure. Responses were also largely positive with regard to working

patterns, with over 70% both being able to work flexibly and aware of the option to switch

from full- to part-time working, and over 50% able to work from home.

35


3.8 Your wellbeing and job satisfaction

Participants were asked about their wellbeing and job satisfaction, as providing a working

environment where these are supported is well-recognised as an important factor in job

performance and employee retention (Alfes et al., 2012). Menopause transition is noted

as having potential negative impacts on job satisfaction (Brewis et al., 2017), so in this

section we analyse the relationship between participants’ levels of job satisfaction and their

experiences of the three menopause symptom groups identified in table 4 (p.26). There

is less evidence about wellbeing, so levels of wellbeing and its relationship to the three

symptom groups are also explored.

Menopause support No. of respond-ents ranking this

question 1–5

Overall score

Mean score

Good awareness among managers of menopause as an occupational issue

360 1,277 3.55

Better ventilation/temperature control in usual working environment

285 915 2.54

Flexible working hours 280 884 2.46

Formal information/advice about the menopause and how to cope

216 678 1.88

Allowing working from home 216 662 1.84

Adequate access to toilets 209 654 1.82

Informal support for women going through the menopause, e.g. groups or contact number

197 564 1.57

Cold drinking water readily available 168 474 1.32

Facilitating a change from full-time to part-time work

135 388 1.08

A rest area 116 321 0.89

Table 6: Possible Support Structures through Menopause Transition

36


Taking first wellbeing, participants were asked a series of questions contained in the

respected General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) measure of wellbeing10 (figure 20). Indicators

of reduced wellbeing are evident from survey responses, with a mean well being score of

14.4 out of a possible 36. However it is important to contextualise these findings, both by

comparison with the whole workforce (for example, recent Police Federation surveys11 have

indicated relatively low rates of morale across WYP) and for women in this age group within

the general population.

Nevertheless, this data shows that many women who are in menopause transition have more

than usual: felt under constant strain (42%), lost confidence in themselves (44%), have been

feeling unhappy and depressed (41%), lost sleep over worry (45%), felt they can’t overcome

difficulties (23%), and have been thinking of themselves as worthless (24%). Around half

feel less able to concentrate (48%); and many feel less happy than usual (34%). Further, over

a quarter (28%) feel they are playing a less useful part and are less able to make decisions

on things (29%), are experiencing less enjoyment of day to day activities (34%) and feel less

able to face up to problems (29%).

10. https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk (accessed 7 October 2019)

11. The 2017 survey found that 56.6 % respondents from West Yorkshire Police in 2017 reported low morale.

http://www.polfed.org/payandmorale (accessed 7 October 2019)

Figure 20: Measuring wellbeing: have you recently…

(N=565–572)

37


These reduced levels of wellbeing, are confirmed in their qualitative responses:

‘I am post menopausal since an operation. I was thrown into an emotional roller coaster

coupled with no sleep but yet still expected to think at work and work to the best of my

ability. I haven’t slept through the night for four years. Whilst various types of medication

now help I still from one week to the next suffer with sleep deprivation. In the workplace

whilst people are aware there is no support, no rest room, no where you can go and re-

charge to carry on with your role.’

‘I supervise a team of operational officers (mostly male) and at times feel I lose credibility

(maybe perceived wrongly) when I have had little sleep or experience symptoms of

menopause such as lack of concentration, hot flushes, poor memory. All these combine to

contribute to my decision making and raise my anxiety levels which is happening more

often. I feel ill equipped to do my job sometimes as a result.’

‘I have recently suffered a breakdown – depression and anxiety. I believe that a lot of it is to

do with being peri-menopausal. Flooding with periods, mood swing, loss of concentration,

hair falling out etc. The organisation have to appreciate and accept that this is a very hard

time for women.’

‘My main bugbear… has been lethargy and fatigue which makes me feel like I cannot

be bothered doing anything. Work is an uphill struggle as I do not sleep for long and

constantly feel tired.

Regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationships between wellbeing and

the three symptom groups.12 Wellbeing is much lower for those experiencing psycho-social

outcomes and, as noted above, this may indicate a need for greater support for coping

with emotional outcomes (e.g. mood swings, anxiety). Disclosure is related to both reduced

wellbeing and bother with primary/psycho-social symptoms, suggesting that only those

women with substantial difficulties disclose and that many cope alone. Post-menopausal

women also have higher levels of wellbeing than peri-menopausal women, suggesting that

support in the transition period is vital. Women with more positive attitudes to menopause

also have higher wellbeing, but being in a male-dominated team reduces wellbeing. In

combination, these findings indicate a need for support beyond that offered for primary

symptoms, a more open working environment where disclosure is supported and female-

led support systems are available, and work to develop/maintain positive attitudes towards

menopause. Resulting increases in wellbeing will be beneficial to both working women and

WYP.


https://www.understandingsociety.ac.uk

http://www.polfed.org/payandmorale

38


Participants were asked a series of questions about job satisfaction (Figure 21), and fairly high

levels were reported, although training and pay could be improved for 30-40%. Regression

analysis was conducted to explore the relationships between job satisfaction and the three

symptom groups.13 Job satisfaction was slightly lower for those experiencing primary and

physical symptoms, indicating a need for some support here, and slightly higher for those

with positive attitudes towards menopause. This again suggests interventions that promote

positive attitudes are likely to have beneficial outcomes.

Figure 21: I get satisfaction from the following in my job

(N=569)


39


4. Conclusions and recommendations

This section draws together key aspects of the findings and presents recommendations to

WYP for further action. WYP employs a large number of women aged 40 and over, many of

whom will be in menopause transition for a substantial number of years, and this number will

continue to rise given the ageing profile of the UK workforce. Whilst the positive responses

given by many participants in this survey demonstrate that WYP is in the vanguard of

organisations seeking to offer support to women in menopause transition, the findings also

show that a significant proportions still have negative experiences, and as a result many do

not feel able to disclose their status to their manager or colleagues, or access the support

they need.

While women have varied experiences of menopause transition, and some are untroubled

by it, for many it can be a difficult time. This is particularly so where women are working

and have caring responsibilities, as is the case for many at WYP. Certainly this report

demonstrates a substantial number of women experienced symptoms that they considered

to be bothersome.

Symptoms fell into three groups: primary symptoms, physical outcomes and psycho-

social outcomes. Psycho-social outcomes were amongst the most bothersome, followed by

primary symptoms, and there were clear links between these and reduced wellbeing and

job satisfaction (Brewis et al., 2017). Further, there were differences in the degree of bother

across employee groups, with those who wore uniforms and whose job role required them

to spend lengthy periods out of the office experiencing most difficulty.

WYP has invested in a programme of activities to raise awareness of the issue of menopause

transition and to improve the level of support offered to their female staff. Although this

study includes some evidence that this is yielding positive results, with accounts of more

accommodating managers and helpful support groups and information sessions, many survey

participants remained sceptical that these good intentions would actually be translated into

action, particularly whether this could mean changing mainstream policing operations:

‘If I do come back in early, It is frowned upon as to why I am in, and it is difficult explaining

that you are sweating - or flooded with a period. When I need a change of uniform, which

I do bring to work and keep in my locker, I still have to explain. It’s like being back at

school, when it is quite an embarrassing situation.

40


‘It is better since Ma’am Collins has made training and awareness to be up front so line

managers know. She is absolutely brilliant in getting it out there, but my line manager

left the room. In his words, he had had enough, at the point that he needed to listen… the

line manager part…

‘It’s OK at the top of the ladder but not so good at the bottom, not quite there yet.’

The findings indicate a need for varying types of support. WYP’s support for primary

symptoms is generally good, reflecting a typical emphasis on these symptoms (Jack et al.,

2014), albeit there is a need for improved workplace ventilation. Particular groups would

benefit both from uniforms that better accommodate their needs and greater work flexibility.

Support for emotional outcomes is less widely available, and perhaps reflected in the need

for better manager awareness and more formal information and support. This is a key area

to address, given the strength of relationship between psycho-social outcomes and reduced

wellbeing/job satisfaction.

The success of support for emotional outcomes will be inevitably influenced by attitudes

towards menopause and the working environment. Women report reasonably positive

attitudes towards menopause transition, although many are/were not prepared for it, again

indicating a need for greater support and information. Overall, however, menopause transition

had an adverse impact on their working lives (Griffiths et al., 2010) and many had concerns

over job performance (High and Marcellino, 1994), having to work harder to sustain this.

This was accompanied by concern over the perceptions of managers and colleagues, and

that they were perceived to be less effective in their roles. It is then perhaps unsurprising

that the majority of women did not disclose their menopausal status to their managers and

often only where symptoms were particularly bothersome. The qualitative data suggest that

disclosure is particularly difficult in male-dominated environments, where is it embarrassing

and can also lead to ridicule and hostility (Griffiths et al., 2010). For some, there was a lack

of trust in managers and a perception that menopause symptoms were not a legitimate

concern. Addressing these issues is paramount in changing attitudes and providing support

to women during this important life stage. Recommendations

41


Recommendations

A number of recommendations flow from the report for the attention of the WYP.

Menopause policy: WYP has undertaken a range of activities to support women in

menopause transition. While these have had some success, response to them has been

dependent on individual will to engage. It is recommended that a formal policy is introduced

to mandate action around menopause transition and create wider response to/uptake of

associated needs and support. This should include ongoing dialogue with women so that

the measures intended to help them are as effective as possible.

Uniforms: provision of uniforms that accommodate primary menopause symptoms is

essential. WYP has already made progress in this area, making adapted uniforms available

to women in menopause transition. However, dialogue is again required to ensure that these

adjustments do not mark out women wearing them as ‘different’. The findings indicate

that further work is also needed in respect of body armour. Here WYP should participate

in current national level discussions on its possible adaptation to accommodate women in

menopause transition. Locally, creation of an open environment where women feel able to

request adapted uniforms is also needed (see ‘Awareness training’ below).

Flexibility: the findings are somewhat mixed regarding the offer of flexibility, which seems

to be good, and its uptake, which is more limited. In part this relates to an apparent disparity

between the flexibility available and that required. Greatest uptake is of forms of flexibility

that do not require reduction in working hours, even where this could be helpful. This

may again relate to the working environment, and cultural resistance to reduced working

hours. Further investigation is needed into how women can be encouraged to access

available flexible options and to identify others forms of flexibility that could support them

in menopause transition. Access to appropriate flexible working was identified as one of the

top five support mechanisms needed and is an important issue.

Support and information: further support in preparing for/dealing with menopause

transition is needed. WYP has again made progress in this area but more action is required.

Awareness raising will be important, as will guidance for managers in ensuring access to

and uptake of these resources. Support in managing psycho-social outcomes, which is not

currently well-provided for, is needed. Managers should also be made aware of counselling

options and be able to refer women to these where appropriate. Menopause ‘champions’,

nominated female support contacts, should be identified and their availability communicated.

Single sex communication sessions will also be important for some to avoid embarrassment

42


and discomfort. These should help to create a more open working environment where

disclosure is supported, female-led support systems are available, and positive attitudes

towards menopause are developed/maintained.

Awareness training: central to the success of all of the above is an open and trusting

working environment where disclosure and discussion of menopause transition is possible

and encouraged. Information and training sessions for managers and employees will be

important in creating dialogue and opening space for supportive conversations to take place.

Awareness training should be offered to drive much needed cultural change: it is not simply

about information provision but also about improving mainstream management practice.

This will allow challenge of embedded practice that requires job related fitness tests to be

taken in particular ways or at particular times, prevents women taking breaks or returning

to base when needed, and so on.

Physical environment: consideration should be given as to how to improve ventilation

e.g. making sure that windows can be opened, though there are clearly logistical/cost

implications to building adaptation.

43


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Decent Work and Productivity Research [email protected]

https://mmu.ac.uk/decentwork

Manchester Metropolitan UniversityAll Saints Campus

Oxford RoadManchesterM15 6BH

mailto:[email protected]

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