Helping to leave a legacy for women at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Marilyn, a Business Travel Plan Advisor for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, talks about how the challenging experiences with the menopause have been the catalyst for real workplace change.

Five years ago, my experiences with the menopause were difficult. Like many workplaces at the time, there was not a lot of specific support for women in my situation. When I started having a challenging time with the menopause – mentally and physically – my main supporter was the female occupational health manager.

I like to research things, so I looked into whether the West Yorkshire Combined Authority had a menopause policy. There was information around making reasonable adjustments, but more detail, based on real experience, was needed. For example, policies on working from home, or ensuring that someone experiencing symptoms can have a lie-down at work, make working life so much easier. Unison, my trade union, has also been supportive of the work to improve policies, as have the HR Department.

The Covid-19 pandemic meant we all got used to people working from home, but five years ago, it could be hard to convince people that you could be as productive – or more productive – if you worked remotely. The acceptance of working from home, especially when you are experiencing menopausal symptoms and you need compassion, is definitely a positive change. 

I have been with the authority since 1979, but until I experienced the menopause at work, I didn’t realise how hard working whilst going through the menopause can be . There were days when it was difficult to come into the office, it was a very stressful time. Even the train journey into the office or giving a presentation during a hot flush can be hard, so it is really important that organisations make reasonable adjustments for menopausal women.

I needed to take time off during the menopause and when I came back to work, there were a lot more women talking about menopause – and more of my peers were starting to go through it as well. We were sharing our experiences and helping each other out. As I talked to the occupational health manager about my experiences she mentioned that more women had been opening up and that I should help leave a legacy for women to be supported at the authority during the menopause in the future. So, I started to question the menopause policy and approached HR about updating it based on real experience.

We got the support of the Deputy Mayor of West Yorkshire. She is an amazing woman, incredibly open and approachable. Within an hour of me sending her an email, she replied – she was sympathetic and completely on board. As the former CEO of Touchstone, a mental health charity, she understands the issues and was instrumental in improving the authority’s menopause policy.

A special group for menopause was another positive change that has happened, which was another suggestion from the Deputy Mayor, and supported by HR. Touchstone has a group called Meno Peers, and she said we could set up a similar group for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. 

I’m involved with WeCAN, the authority’s disability network, which welcomes anyone who identifies as disabled, cares for a person with disabilities, or wants to support colleagues with disabilities. The group does great work focusing on what people can do rather than cannot do, but it was clear that a group specifically for menopause would help so many. When we got that extra boost from the Deputy Mayor, the Meno Peers group became a reality. 

It is so important to raise awareness about the issues and challenges of going through the menopause at work. Some people sail through it, but for others, this time of life can be really hard. Within Meno Peers, we are able to support each other and have a safe space to talk about these things. 

A menopause awareness module has even been added to our e-learning. These are things that will help make progress across the whole organisation. It is about all of us being better human beings all round. 

I’m currently one of the longest-serving employees at the West Yorkshire Authority and I’m quite a reflector. You get to an age where you’ve gone through menopause, you’re not fertile anymore and you can even start to wonder if you’ve lost your creativity. But there is a wisdom that comes with going through all the stages of being a woman. 

For me, this is one of the biggest storms I’ve weathered, but I’ve learned that when you come out the other end, you’re not finished. I felt like I’d lost my vitality during the menopause, but I have definitely regained it. I’ll be 60 in April, I’ve applied for flexible retirement, but I don’t want to wind down. 

I’ve got so much more to contribute – there are so many women like me, and we’ve all got experience that we can pass onto others. No matter what your age, your workplace should be a place where you can thrive, be your best and feel valued.

 

 

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