8 Apr 2025
With the majority of practising vets in the UK now women, how the sector supports those experiencing menopause has become an issue of growing significance. Solicitor Sarah Price and Tina Chander, partner and head of employment at Wright Hassall, discuss what can and should be done.
Vet Times
Job Title
According to The Menopause Charity, women above the age of 50 are the fastest-growing group in the UK workforce1.
And with the world of veterinary medicine being largely made up of women – a fact backed by a University of Edinburgh study that noted in 2021 that 77% of UK-practising veterinary surgeons were women2 – practices should be reviewing their existing policies, ensuring more is done to support individuals that are experiencing symptoms.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has conducted surveys into the type of menopause symptoms being experienced and their impact upon individuals at work, both in 2019 and 2023. The surveys also considered the ways in which employers can support individuals experiencing menopause symptoms, and the importance of such support in improving working conditions for individuals.
In 2019, CIPD found that 51% of those surveyed could recall a time when they were unable to attend work due to menopause symptoms, which compares to 53% of respondents in 20233.
The key difference, however, was that in 2023, 18% of respondents (up from 11% in 2019) did not tell their manager anything about their menopause or symptoms and a further 11% only mentioning their symptoms but not menopause.
Menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, but around 1 in 100 individuals will experience it before the age of 40. Meanwhile perimenopause, which is the period leading up to menopause, can occur during mid-30s or even earlier.
Considering that almost three-quarters of the workforce is aged between 40-64, it is an issue that does not discriminate between industry and sector and one that must be taken seriously by business owners.
While symptoms can range from cognitive, physical and psychological, the CIPD survey noted that the three most commonly experienced symptoms of menopause are psychological issues – such as mood disturbances, anxiety, depression, memory loss, panic attacks, loss of confidence, reduced concentration – (67%), hot flushes (66%), and sleep disturbance (66%).
Each of these symptoms, along with all other symptoms of the menopause, can negatively impact those experiencing them at work and so, it is especially important that their employers take steps to support individuals and make adjustments where possible.
According to the CIPD, “organisations should treat the menopause as they would any other health issue, not only to break the stigma and taboo surrounding the menopause at work, but to create an inclusive environment where employees and managers feel able to discuss any reasonable adjustments that may be needed”.
With so many employees still not comfortable discussing the menopause or their symptoms, focus should be upon ensuring that individuals feel comfortable informing their employers of their symptoms and ensuring that they feel supported within the workplace.
Employers should be considering policies and training senior management on what the menopause is and what it entails in order to ensure managers feel confident to support staff who are experiencing symptoms. It would be hoped that this allows managers to identify signs and symptoms in order to offer the necessary support to colleagues that are struggling.
As well as offering specific training and support to senior management within the practice who may need to support their teams, training should also be offered across the organisation in order to improve awareness and understanding more broadly.
Training should also include information regarding the ways in which the employer supports those experiencing the symptoms of the menopause, and they can access support, if required.
It is also important for practices to consider each case individually and take steps to support employees so far as is possible. While the menopause is not a specific protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, if an employee or worker is put at a disadvantage and treated less favourably because of their menopause symptoms, this could be discrimination if related to a protected characteristic, such as age, sex or gender reassignment and so, taking such steps is also important in protecting the practice from any such claims.
With this in mind, it is in the best interests of employers to ensure menopausal women are supported, with steps taken to improve their comfort where reasonably possible.
For menopausal women, not receiving the right support at the right time could result in them leaving the practice, which can be detrimental, especially if they have been an asset and because staff are hard to replace.
It makes sense, therefore, that policies should be updated to reflect menopause, allowing flexible working if employees are suffering from symptoms like night sweats and insomnia, which can make going into work more challenging.
At the same time, managers should routinely be checking in on menopausal women that may be working from home, ensuring they have what they need to work productively. Naturally, how this will apply will depend on the role within a practice.
It’s bound to be a difficult conversation for someone to discuss the menopause and individual symptoms. However, employers are only able to address matters they are aware of.
By informing an employer of any symptoms they may be experiencing, an individual can therefore, provide their employer with the opportunity to provide support.
Open conversations regarding matters that will undoubtedly impact others may also provide them with the opportunity to contribute to the wider discussion regarding menopause within the practice.
The CIPD survey also demonstrated that 50% of respondents felt supported by their colleagues, with the number of respondents impacted by various symptoms was reduced by up to 9% by such support.
So, while managers and employers more broadly have a responsibility to ensure that individuals experiencing the menopause and menopause symptoms are supported, it is clear that colleagues can also provide valuable support to their colleagues.
