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Supporting menopausal women in the workplace: checklist and risk assessment

Publication date 01 August 2019
Last reviewed date 21 November 2019

A checklist and risk assessment form to help managers support menopausal women in the workplace.

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Menopause risk assessment checklist

What CSP reps can do:

  1. Make sure your employer is complying with health and safety legislation – for example ensuring a comfortable workplace temperature, and adequate ventilation, consulting with workers, carrying out risk assessments and operating safe systems of work.
  2. What particular health and safety issues may affect menopausal women in your workplace?
  3. Could welfare facilities be improved? Ensure that there are good rest facilities and a quiet area, easily accessible cold drinking water and adequate and suitable sanitary facilities for women (and men) which are situated within easy reach of workstations
  4. Does your health and safety policy cover gender issues such as the menopause? If not, negotiate a policy.
  5. Are all managers, supervisors and safety reps trained to deal with menopause issues sensitively and fairly in the workplace?
  6. Are workers (and managers) provided with information, advice and training about the menopause?
  7. Are there adequate notice boards to enable information to be displayed?
  8. Ask your employer to help raise awareness and also encourage health promotion in the workplace
  9. Negotiate improved occupational health provision. A good in house OH department should be concerned about preventing injuries and ill-health, raising health awareness and arranging for health screening. For smaller workplaces without in-house provision, encourage your employer to arrange external occupational health provision.
  10. Use your rights to ensure that a gender-sensitive approach to the menopause is taken when dealing with risk assessments
  11. Does your sickness and absence policy treat menopausal workers fairly and provide for paid time off for medical appointments or treatment?
  12. Will flexible working patterns help menopausal women in your workplace?
  13. Negotiate flexible rest and toilet breaks
  14. When considering shift working be aware that there may be health issues that should be considered. Ensure that night workers are offered health assessments as required under the Working Time Regulations l998 and that canteen, rest and other facilities are all available equally to day and night worker