Leading businesses were joined by Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression, Mims Davies MP, at a Women in the Workplace roundtable, sponsored by Teleperformance, in Westminster to discuss how better employee engagement can break down healthcare barriers around the menopause and transform the workplace for women.

The menopause affects 3.5 million women in the UK workforce, and one in four of those consider leaving their jobs because of it. It can impact their performance, productivity, retention and morale but has too often been a taboo subject that was simply never discussed. In a new era of more open employee engagement, many organisations are acknowledging that eliminating the stigma associated with the menopause and talking constructively about its impact will lead to more effective solutions in happier, more productive workplaces.

Speaking at the event Mims Davies MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression said: “We’ve just been having a really rich conversation about supporting women through the menopause and making sure that they’re thriving at any age or career stage. It’s really important to us at DWP because 55% of our workforce are women, and in fact there’s over two million more women in the workforce since 2010.”

Lisa Dolan, VP of People Operations – Employee Experience at Teleperfomance UK added “It was an absolute pleasure to be part of such an important discussion, menopause is a condition that affects most of us in one way or another, it’s important that employers talk about menopause in the workplace, explore the societal and economic issues that menopause can cause. It’s critical that employers become “menopause-friendly” and that managers in the workplace are provided with the knowledge and skills to support their colleagues. It is about breaking down barriers, keeping the conversation flowing and making it simple, listen to your colleagues and they will help guide the direction of traffic”.