A first clinically-led programme for workplace menopause advocacy is being launched in East Yorkshire.
An award-winning leading nurse expert is behind the nationally innovative programme, helping businesses support both women and men in the workplace.
Tracey Dennison, who runs her own private practice East Riding Aesthetics and Wellness, says educating employers about the effects of menopause is vital for the wellbeing of staff and the whole company. She says understanding the range of issues that emerge, what changes and how it impacts bodies and minds is massively empowering.
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“I have an absolute passion to support women through their perimenopausal and menopausal years,” she said. “There are too many ladies struggling unnecessarily with symptoms which are having a massive impact on their lives. Their work life, their relationships, every aspect of their day-to-day functioning can be affected.
“Symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, mood swings and fatigue are all really common symptoms when we hit the perimenopausal years and many women genuinely feel that they are experiencing early onset dementia or other serious conditions - and they don’t realise that their symptoms are actually perimenopause-related.
“That’s why we want to empower workplaces to provide support, education and signposting to all employees - regardless of gender - so that those experiencing troublesome symptoms can access help and so that everyone is aware of the issues and how to offer meaningful support.”
The Menopause Advocates Programme will train key personnel within companies to be a point of contact for all staff to offer support, education and signposting to other helpful services, including counselling, menopause yoga and nutritionists. In addition, advocates will be given on-going education to keep them up-to-date with the latest information as well as having membership of a closed private forum to input and ask questions.
The consultant nurse practitioner at East Riding Aesthetics & Wellness said: “Whilst it is really difficult to know exactly how many women have left their jobs due to perimenopause or menopause, as there are no statistics to directly correlate this data, a survey last year of 2000 women, aged 45 to 67, found that more than one million women in the UK could be forced from their jobs because employers are failing to support them as they go through the menopause and this is having a direct impact on their decisions to leave the workplace.
“This is just unacceptable and we need to be far more proactive. Critically, my programme is not just for women because men also need to understand that all people born female will experience this stage of their lives and it will affect them too, be it within their relationships, work environment or socially.”
Training for the first advocates starts imminently, and four intakes are planned annually.
Initially training as a registered general nurse at Huddersfield School of Nursing in 1993, she has completed degrees to advancing practice and is Masters-level qualified in aesthetic medicine. She is also a member of the British Association of Cosmetic Nurses, British Dermatology Nursing Group, International Cosmetic Association of Nurses, British College of Lifestyle Medicine, British Menopause Society, International Menopause Society and Newsome Health Menopause Society.
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