UK women call out employers for not understanding pain of menopause
Story highlights
As per the data, five employment tribunals with regard to menopause were reported in 2018, six in 2019 and 16 in 2020. Shockingly, there have 10 reported cases in the first six months of 2021
A lot of women are standing up for their rights which they feel are being taken away by some of the big corporations. Women have started taking their employers to court citing the menopause period as proof of unfair dismissal and gender discrimination.
Researchers have used the latest data from the UK to conclude that there has been a rise in cases where women have challenged their employers for failing to understand the impact of menopause on women and not offering enough support.
"I can see that this will carry on building until such time as there are some really big, group lawsuits, which I’m sure there will be," said Dee Murray, the founder and chief executive of Menopause Experts who led this research. "The women in a lot of the big companies are already setting up their own private, internal menopause support groups. If they decide their issues are not supported by HR, you could potentially have a real problem."
As per the data, five employment tribunals with regard to menopause were reported in 2018, six in 2019 and 16 in 2020. Shockingly, there have 10 reported cases in the first six months of 2021.
Out of the 70 per cent of women workforce in the UK, almost 4.5 million are in the age bracket of 50 to 64, and employers happily want to retain them due to their profit-earning capabilities and their success standards. However, the issue of women in this age bracket facing trouble due to menopause is rarely discussed.
As per recent research by British experts, one in four women consider leaving their jobs due to the hardships they face during their menopause period.
"We regularly hear horror stories about how women are discriminated against in the workforce, and sadly menopause is one area where employers keep getting it wrong," Murray said. "This dramatic rise in the number of employment tribunals citing menopause shows how women are standing up for themselves against outdated and ill-informed bosses. The lack of education is dangerous for women’s health and unfair to their careers."