Wealth manager Quilter has released a menopause and gynaecological policy for its staff allowing them paid time off and medical insurance benefits.
In order to support colleagues experiencing menopausal symptoms or other gynaecological health issues, the firm has said it will provide paid time off for medical appointments and £500 private medical insurance benefit, which includes cash reimbursement towards consultations with a specialist, diagnostic tests and hormone therapy treatments, and bone density screening.
Tosin James-Odukoya (pictured), head of inclusion, diversity and talent acquisition at Quilter, said: “We want to do all we can to support people transitioning through the menopause by offering a supportive policy and guidance which fosters open conversations with colleagues.
“There is no reason for the menopause, or anything related to women’s health, to be taboo or carry stigma. We want to help raise awareness of some of the common experiences during menopause, give practical support and resources to employees and ensure managers are well informed.”
See also: – Quilter DEI head: ‘The industry is anti-diversity’
Research commissioned by law firm Irwin Mitchell recently revealed despite the often negative effects of the menopause on women in the workplace, only one in five of more than 1,000 UK businesses surveyed take symptoms into consideration and a quarter have no policy surrounding it. The firm also found nearly 20% of women with menopausal or perimenopausal symptoms took more than eight weeks leave, and half of this group resigned or took early retirement.
“While flexible working can make a real difference, we also want to ensure colleagues are not penalised for taking time off if it’s down to a natural biological process like the menopause.,” James-Odukoya added. “This is about prioritising the health and wellbeing of people and supporting a diverse workforce. We’ve learnt that even small things like making it easy for colleagues to request desk fans go a long way.
