Menopause is not currently recognised as a workplace priority within your organisation, or it is viewed as a purely personal matter rather than something requiring organisational awareness or support.

There is little to no structured understanding of how menopause can impact employees’ wellbeing, attendance, confidence or performance. Leadership may not have actively acknowledged the topic and there is no clear ownership within HR or People functions.

Policies may be absent, outdated or not communicated. Managers are not yet equipped to support employees and may avoid conversations due to discomfort or lack of knowledge. Employees experiencing menopause are unlikely to feel supported or may not disclose their needs at all.

At this stage, support is typically:
– Reactive rather than proactive 
– Inconsistent or non-existent 
– Dependent on individual managers rather than organisational systems 

There is also no measurement of impact on retention, absenteeism or productivity, meaning risks remain largely invisible.

In practice, this means:
– Employees may struggle in silence 
– Increased risk of disengagement, absenteeism or attrition 
– Potential reputational and legal risk as awareness grows externally 

Next Steps:
Establish baseline awareness for all staff and leadership recognition of menopause as a workplace issue.