World Menopause Day 18 October 2022

Menopause related resignations are damaging the SME industry, says leading peer-to-peer support network, The Alternative Board.

Representing hundreds of UK SMEs, the Leeds based company welcomed yesterday’s all-party parliamentary group on menopause (APPG) call for more support in the workplace.

Publishing its final report after a year-long inquiry into the menopause, MPs will today demand ‘widespread action’ to improve the situation for those going through the menopause, as well as families, friends and colleagues affected by it.

The report coincides with TAB launching a menopause guide for SMEs following increased conversations around the issue with its members.

8 simple steps to managing the menopause in the workplace (thealternativeboard.co.uk) provides advice on how to approach the menopause in the workplace, as ED Reid, MD of TAB explains:

“The menopause is a topic that we have been supporting our SME members on for some time in both our private peer-to-peer board meetings and at our annual conference. It is a concern that is being more frequently raised and we are actively helping businesses to retain and support staff members through the menopause. Our stance is clear-cut, the menopause can impact on every business, and workplace actions are key to whether female employees feel encumbered or empowered by it.

“Our concern is that many SMEs in the UK have nowhere to turn to obtain the support and guidance they need regarding the menopause. There is a huge task to undertake nationally to ensure business owners, over 70 per cent of which are men, understand and are happy to talk about the menopause, not just in their working lives but in their personal lives too. If, with today’s government support, we get this right, we can improve physical and mental health issues across the UK while also retaining female talent within the SME community.”

TAB’s commitment to breaking the menopause taboo is a direct result of the issue being addressed at one of its board meetings where members from a cross section of industries share workplace challenges and best practice.

TAB member Sonya Whitworth, 49, is MD of Shipley based BTL, an international leader in the provision of computer-based testing technology for secure and high-stakes assessments.Running a business with 180 employees and working long hours, the early onset of the menopause completely crippled Sonya’s ability to function at her best. Suffering from brain fog, sleepless nights, anxiety, and irritability aged just 46, she was initially wrongly diagnosed with stress and anxiety. After struggling with the symptoms for 18 months Sonya realised she was going through the menopause, worked out a plan of how to address it and began her journey back to her confident self.

Desperate for other women in the workplace not to repeat her experience, Sonya bravely shared her situation at a local TAB Board Meeting and was overwhelmed with the response she received. Her boardroom peers were incredibly supportive of her situation and inspired by the insights she gave into ways they could support their own female employees.

“It was a really cathartic experience sharing what I was going through with my TAB colleagues because at the time it wasn’t something I wanted to talk to my colleagues about in case there were concerns about my ability to do my job,” commented Sonya. “As soon as I realised that it was the menopause that I had been going through everything finally made sense, and I was so relieved that I had worked out the cause of why I hadn’t been feeling myself for the last 18 months. I found that my all-male TAB peers were incredibly understanding and willing to openly discuss it and we resolutely agreed that every business needs to be more transparent about supporting women through the menopause. It’s not a subject that every woman will want to talk about, but if we as leaders can provide regular opportunities to share personal issues, it ensures the door is always open to those who may be struggling.”

Such was the impact of Sonya’s experience on her fellow TAB members that she was subsequently invited to present on the subject at TAB’s Conference earlier this year.

“Sonya’s story really resonated with our members, and I feel like this is a watershed moment for the British workforce,”

“We’ve broken the taboo around mental health in the UK and now we need to do the same for the menopause. Retaining great team members is challenging enough post pandemic without companies unwittingly alienating and losing female members of staff. Creating this guide is our first step in bringing the menopause out into the open and we are actively encouraging all our members to do the same in order to support and strengthen their workforces for the long term.”

Always open to new franchisees and members, TAB is the world’s largest peer-to-peer support and business coaching franchise. For more information visit https://www.thealternativeboard.co.uk/