Listening to callers on radio phone-ins and reading comments online, anyone would think women going through the menopause were asking for the world.
Yesterday’s announcement that menopausal women will be allowed to work from home if their symptoms require it should be welcomed across the board.
Instead, it seemed to be met with criticism and pushback from many who think it’s another sign of the country going too “woke”.
How utterly ridiculous.
For too long women experiencing menopause have had to suffer in silence and put up with ridicule and snide remarks in the workplace.
Some of the things women go through are heartbreaking and shocking to hear, but thankfully, in recent years, it’s become more acceptable to talk about a huge issue that does and will impact up to half of the population.
Davina McCall is just one person who should be commended for her work in this area.
The new guidance announced by NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard will see women being offered flexible working patterns including the option of working from home.
Far from driving down productivity, it will improve things – women’s wellbeing will be a priority, meaning they’re better looked after, less likely to have to call in sick, and less likely to quit.
According to the Fawcett Society, one in 10 women feel driven out of employment due to the menopause.
Under this initiative, the NHS is more likely to retain experienced, hard-working staff.
And here’s the thing. Pritchard is asking for women to be paid to stay at home to work, and as a result they’re more likely to work harder because research during the pandemic found that women were more likely to do unpaid extra hours than men.
Menopause isn’t the only condition to seriously impact women. The symptoms of menstruation can have an equally debilitating impact.
It’s time for a grown-up conversation instead of treating women’s health as some kind of punch line.
