last updated:24/11/2016 @ 10:18 am
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Advice on the menopause

The Faculty of Occupational Medicine has produced guidance on menopause and the workplace, and an accompanying infographic offering advice, tips and stats.

Guidance on menopause and the workplace (click to view)

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The Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FOM) is pleased to launch guidance on menopause in the workplace. This guidance is aimed at women going through menopause and experiencing the impact it has on their working lives. It also offers employers practical guidance on how to improve workplace environments for menopausal women.

Dr Richard Heron, FOM President:

“At the request of the Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Faculty of Occupational Medicine was pleased to lend its support and produce guidelines on menopause in the workplace. This is often a hidden health concern of working women, and it is so important that workers of all ages are better informed about how to confidently manage health issues such as this in their workplaces.”

Professor Amanda Griffiths, from the University of Nottingham’s School of Medicine, has conducted the largest study to date in the UK about menopause and work, and contributed to the new guidance:

“The Faculty of Occupational Medicine’s guidance draws together the latest information we have about how menopause affects some women at work. It provides straightforward suggestions about what employers and line managers can do to help, as well as tips for women themselves in how to cope.”

“It is good to see that menopause is increasingly being widely recognised as a potential problem and is no longer ‘taboo’. Serious problems only affect a minority of menopausal women, and even then only temporarily. But for those affected it can be very unpleasant. More awareness and some simple changes, many that women themselves have recommended, could make their working lives during this time much easier. “

The guidance will also be featured in a documentary for ITV’s Tonight programme featuring contribution from Dr Richard Heron, FOM President. In ‘The Truth about the Menopause’ (7.30pm ITV 24/11/16), Julie Etchingham examines whether our workplaces are doing enough to support women, and what a difference the right kind of support can make for menopausal women.

Menopause Focus infographic (click to expand)

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