Managing a SME is often a balancing act. You’re finding work, doing the work, keeping in touch with customers, developing products, managing finances, sorting IT, looking after your people… it’s a job with many hats to wear.

So considering menopause and menstruation support in the workplace might seem like yet another hat. But there are some very compelling reasons why it’s not only a good thing to do, it can actually bring some clear and evident benefits to your business. All without huge investment or input, just a little foresight and focus on wellbeing.

It seems that the topic of menopause has risen through the ranks, moving from being completely taboo just a few years ago to talked about in all walks of life. We’re hearing from celebrities, it’s discussed in Parliament, it’s in the media… and it’s in our workplaces. Menstrual health has yet to be picked up in the same way but is nonetheless gaining some much-needed traction.

What does this mean for your SME?

SMEs are an incredibly vital part of our economy. We know that:

• SMEs account for 99.9% of the business population
• 6m businesses in the UK are SMEs
• 60% of employment can be attributed to SMEs
• c50% of turnover in the private sector comes from SMEs

SMEs also have different considerations to their larger counterparts. While a bigger organisation might have the luxury of an HR director or wellbeing lead, people services in SMEs can sometimes be part of another role. Budgets are also an obvious factor.

All of which is actually no reason to dismiss menopause or menstruation support as being ‘not for you’. Introducing this type of wellbeing support can actually save you money!

The demographic case

Did you know that menopausal women are the fastest-growing workplace demographic in the UK? The average age for a woman to reach menopause is 51, but symptoms can start many years before this (and they don’t switch off at work).

The current recruitment landscape is definitively in the jobseeker’s favour so it’s a highly competitive market for employers.

• 33m people are employed in the UK
• 87m of the UK workforce are of menopausal age
• 18% of the average workforce could be experiencing menopause symptoms
• 3 in 4 women experience menopause symptoms
• 1 in 4 experience severe symptoms
• 8m of our workforce menstruate
• One in 10 are living with endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome
• 2 in 3 get fibroids
• 1 in three experience heavy bleeding at some point

Employees could realistically be working for one or two decades post menopause. It’s a transition, it’s not forever, but supporting those who need it through this time is pivotal if you’re to retain valuable talent.

Menstruation is clearly not new, but it’s a fairly new topic for workplace conversation. But we know that 63% of people say employers should normalise conversation about menstruation and 59% say employers should provide more support.

Unlike menopause, menstrual health issues and menstruation could impact people for much longer. But having the right support in place means people are far more likely to be committed to you as an employer, feeling they can be their best at work.

Increased employee retention

It makes sense when we consider that we are an ageing population, implementing menopause friendly practices can help create a more supporting and inclusive working environment.

One in four people consider leaving work due to menopause symptoms. It costs, on average, £30k to replace each employee – recruitment agency costs, managers’ time, training and induction, it all adds up. And it certainly doesn’t cost this much to bring supportive measures into your workplace. So even if you can prevent just one person from leaving, you’re making a big cost saving.

Meanwhile, 8% of people consider leaving work over lack of support over menstruation and menstrual health. Crucially, this is not about what they’re experiencing, but about whether they are given any support at work. And costs here are the same as with menopause.

People aren’t looking for big, significant or costly changes. In the main, it’s about managers having understanding and empathy, which is where training and education is really important. Equally, some flexibility is key, usually in terms of minimal changes to the work environment.

Reducing staff absence

Menopause symptoms can really impact on overall wellbeing. Consistent research tells us that, while we often associate hot flushes with menopause, these actually aren’t the symptoms which most affect women at work. These are often the lesser-known psychological changes, such as depression, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog and stress. 43% have said they’ve taken time off due to menopause symptoms, and we’re seeing more organisations introducing this as one of their absence metrics and tracking statistics.

Put it this way: if seven people were absent for these reasons, that’s 107 hours in lost productivity, at an average UK wage of £16.60 per hour that’s a potential loss to the business of £1776.

In terms of menstruation, again it’s the mood changes, anxiety, tiredness and fatigue which mainly affect women at work, with 13.8% reporting absenteeism due to menstrual issues.

It’s clear that when people take time off work there’s a cost to the business and this can be very noticeable in a SME. If we can educate people to understand more about what they’re experiencing and empower them to seek support form a healthcare provider and talk to you about what would help at work, this will pay dividends, both for you and for them.

Improved productivity

Something every organisation is seeking, but it’s no great secret how to start achieving it. Supporting your people, looking after their wellbeing and genuinely caring about them makes them much more likely to bring their full selves to work and fully engage. In terms of menopause and menstruation support, this could be as simple as offering temperature-controlled environments or flexible work hours (in fact, the latter is now a day one right).

Many people don’t like to disclose that menopause symptoms are impacting them at work as they worry how this will be perceived. Creating a workplace that removes this fear can help to boost morale and, in turn, productivity.

Menstruation also comes with a cloak of worry and, while we are seeing great progress with menopause, this is one we are still working to remove with menstrual issues. There’s often a strong feeling of presenteeism, with people struggling on and on. But we know that we lose an average of 8.4 days per women due to lower productivity here.

It’s about looking at work could work for you and within your budgets. Free period products for emergencies, for example. Recognising that someone might need time off for medical appointments. Endometriosis takes an unbelievable eight years on average to diagnose, but once the condition is being managed the individual will be much more productive.

Knowing there is empathy and understanding, rather than judgement and admonishment, will keep talented workers with you for longer.

Enhanced employee engagement

What do your people say about working for you? Would they recommend you to a friend? When employees feel engaged and supported they’re more likely to think of you as a great place to work. Menopause and menstruation friendly practices can contribute to a positive culture, something we’ve seen in action time and time again.

Employers running training and awareness session receive so many thanks and so much gratitude, from men and women, for bringing these topics out into the open and showing they’re something they support at work. People can also take this education home, to their partners, friends and family. Looking after your people is priceless.

• Wellbeing programmes are a must have for 52% of employees
• LinkedIn has seen a 147% increase in job posts mentioning wellbeing
• 41% of women are more likely to engage with wellbeing posts

The legal case

So far we’ve focused on the ‘carrots’ with lots of positive reasons to be menopause and menstruation friendly. But there is also a ‘stick’. And this comes in the form of legal tribunals.

We’ve seen a massive increase in these in terms of menopause and we expect this trend to continue and escalate. The more it’s talked about the more employees are aware of their employer’s responsibilities towards them and whether these are being met.

The impact at losing at a tribunal is tremendous. It can be hugely costly, both in terms of fines and legal costs. It can also cost you your reputation and seriously damage your employer brand. The only way to win at a tribunal is not to be there in there in the first place.

What can you do?

Every employer is unique. It’s important to understand your own position in terms of culture, leadership styles, number of employees, demographics, the type of work you do and any support already in place.

But there are some key areas which all employers could consider to help them become menopause and menstruation friendly:

Policy or guidance: it’s always good practice to have in writing how your organisation offers support, whether this is a formal policy or a guidance document or toolkit. Cover the facts and explain how people can access support – and make sure they know this document exists and how to find it.

Engagement: how do you communicate with your whole workforce? Whether it’s monthly meeting, a regular email or newsletter, an away day or an online gathering, this is the time and place to talk about what you’re doing. Remember, these can be sensitive topics for some and it’s rare to change hearts, minds and culture by talking about something once. You need to keep the drumbeat going until you’ve completely normalised menopause and menstruation as topics of conversation.

Training: many SMEs start their journey with a training or awareness session to give people more immediate confidence in discussing these subjects, educating people on the facts and busting some of the myths.

Support: what does this look like for your organisation? It could be reasonable adjustments, access to a medical organisation like Peppy or Bupa, or you may have an Employee Assistance Programme. Whatever you have, make sure people know about it.

Environment: two key questions to ask employees are ‘What’s getting in the way of you being at your best at work?’ and ‘What can we do to help?’ From a cost point of view, it’s often the small inexpensive things that make a big difference.

SMEs are the beating heart of our wider economy but can often feel at a disadvantage to larger organisations in terms of what they can do or offer in terms of wellbeing. Menopause and menstrual health are areas which can be easily supported with very little in the way of investment or outlay. But the rewards are not just significant, they are mindblowing. Retaining your key talent, attracting new people seeking a more caring employer, increasing productivity and maximising your employee engagement… making you a great place to work and boosting your brand in the process.

Deborah Garlick

Deborah is passionate about helping women live better lives by educating on the facts about menopause. She’s the CEO at Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace and author of Menopause: the change for the better. And also founder of Henpicked.net.