The Orange Partnership is confidently and openly talking about menopause
Today is World Menopause Day. This is celebrated every year to raise awareness, break the stigma and highlight the support options available for improving health and wellbeing.
At The Orange Partnership the wellness of our team is vitally important. We are committed to building a culture where our people feel empowered to discuss any aspect of their wellbeing at work and be confident that they will be heard and supported.
This hasn’t always been the case. There has been a deafening silence surrounding the menopause for too long. It has been regarded as a taboo subject and something it is embarrassing to discuss.
From a business as well as an inclusivity perspective avoiding the issue makes little sense because:
- Women over 50 are the fastest growing demographic in the UK workforce. And yet one in four women have left jobs as a result of feeling unwell due to the menopause, with many struggling to manage their symptoms at work.
- 67.5% of women aged between 50-64 are in employment, amounting to almost 4.5 million employees. As a result, menopause symptoms will be experienced by a significant portion of the workforce.
At The Orange Partnership over 60% of our team are women. Every single one will go through menopause at some stage. In our experience, small changes have made a difference, such as not overheating an office, keeping a window open, providing fans and easy access to chilled water. A flexible approach to working hours can also help, to enable colleagues to schedule important medical appointments.
By talking openly about wellbeing issues, and most importantly by listening to what our colleagues are saying, we are able to create a healthy work environment in which people can flourish and thrive.
To find out more about The Orange Partnership approach or for a confidential chat about a potential issue please get in touch.
Darren Ward FCA, AQ – Managing Director
darrenward@theorangepartnership.co.uk
