Should employers cater to menopause as they do for pregnancy?

Managers should be trained on dealing with sensitive issues such as menopause to help people feel more comfortable discussing such topics at work, according to an employment law consultant.

Enrique Garcia, an employment law consultant for the ELAS Group, says menopause is increasingly being viewed as an occupational health issue. “This demonstrates the need for it to be handled appropriately in the workplace,” he said.

"Managers should be properly trained on dealing with sensitive issues such as menopause so that women can feel comfortable in approaching their managers to discuss any problems they are having which are affecting their work. Women could also have claims for harassment if they are subject to a derogatory, humiliating or offensive environment.”

Adding to the debate, one of Britain’s leading women’s health experts, Myra Hunter, emeritus professor of clinical health psychology at King’s College London, believes employers should cater for the menopause in a comparable way to pregnancy.