Me, Work and the Menopause

Enabling women to feel more comfortable with the symptoms of menopause at work.

About this campaign

Usdaw is campaigning about the menopause to raise awareness, enable more women to feel able to discuss their menopause symptoms and seek better workplace rights.

It also aims to support improved health and well-being for women in mid-life and beyond.

Supporting the campaign

The best way to support the Me, Work and the Menopause campaign is to get workers talking about the issues in the workplace.

Usdaw has developed a campaign pack to enable more women to recognise and feel able to discuss their menopause symptoms in the workplace. It will equip reps with the tools they need to open up conversations about the menopause at work.

We also want to hear about the experience of members during menopause so we can identify what more needs to support people at work.

Additional resources

Could the Menopause be impacting your pension?

Research by Wales TUC found that 8 out of 10 women said their menopause symptoms had a significant impact on them at work.

Some women feel they have no option but to give up their jobs or take early retirement because of menopausal symptoms. But giving up work or reducing the hours you work will undoubtedly have a financial impact, not only as your income reduces or stops, but in turn this will also have a knock-on effect with reduced pension pots.

This leaflet aims to address this.

Menopause Talking Toolkit

The Talking Toolkit can be used to help open-up and guide conversations with members about how the menopause is affecting them at work and vice versa.

View the toolkit >>

Menopause

"Women’s health is an equality and a workplace issue. Systemic gender inequality has far reaching and profoundly damaging consequences for women’s and girls’ well-being, physical and mental."

Tracy, Usdaw member

27 October 2023

"Statistics show that around 1 in every 3 women has either experienced or is currently going through the menopause, with the majority experiencing noticeable symptoms. Of these, almost half experience symptoms they find hard to deal with and cause them difficulties both in and out of work.

"Usdaw is calling for menopause-related absence to be counted separately and be discounted in disciplinary and other employment decisions."

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary

31 May 2023

"Women make up more than half of Usdaw’s members and activists and over half of the UK workforce. All of these women will inevitably experience the menopause at some point in their lives, and not necessarily in their late forties or early fifties.

"The menopause can affect younger women too and transgender and non-binary people. It’s far from a minority issue."

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw General Secretary

31 March 2023

Publications