Two Canadian HR leaders discuss menopause benefits offered by their companies
Even though menopause is a universal experience for women, one-third (32 per cent) of working women in Canada say their menopause symptoms negatively impacted their performance at work.
Menopause costs employers $237 million annually in lost productivity and costs women $3.3 billion in lost income due to a reduction in hours, pay or leaving the workforce, according to the Menopause Foundation of Canada.
To that end, having a menopause policy in the workplace creates a psychologically safe space for employees to engage in a discussion and talk about their needs, according to Deborah Ovsenny, VP of HR operations at Metrolinx.
“Menopause policies didn't cost anything to put in place; this is a low-cost, high-value caring item that can go a long way to show you care about your employees and that there's a support network for them.”
This is really critical given that menopause will last for up to half the lifetime of the average woman, she said.
“This is something that happens to every woman — we're not talking about something that only happens to a very small portion of the population.”
ROI of menopause benefits at Metrolinx
With menopause symptoms often beginning during a period when many women are progressing into leadership roles, providing support is essential for attracting and retaining women, especially given that Metrolinx operates in a predominantly male dominant industry, Ovsenny said.
Menopause benefits and policies not only support women experiencing symptoms but also show younger women they will be supported by their employer when they eventually go through the same experience, she said.
“If employers want to ensure that they're harnessing the full potential of the female demographic, they need to do this by creating simple policies and simple supports for women,” Ovsenny said. “We see this as pretty critical for our ability to recruit and retain women, while creating the policy and publicly declaring it has provided a space for stigma reduction as well.”
Productivity gains at Symcor
A lack of support in the workplace for women experiencing these symptoms could cause women to opt out of the workforce, so it is in the best interest of employers to provide support, according to Ana Brtan, SVP chief human resources officer at Symcor.
“Not having that support system in the workplace can make it very hard for women to continue to show up and be part of that workforce. If we support them when it comes to things like menopause, we're just doing better for us as an organization.
“It helps maintain that gender balance, which makes a world of difference in an organization and helps get ahead of any potential productivity issues,” she said.
It’s in the best interest of employers to support employees through individual situations, according to Brtan.
“It helps us maintain longer-term relationships and productivity, and the bottom line is that it’s the right thing to do.”
Menopause accommodations for employees
When it comes to this transition in a women’s life, stigma can be a big challenge. Two-thirds (67 per cent) of Canadian women said they wouldn’t feel comfortable speaking to their supervisor or someone in HR about what they were experiencing, according to the Menopause Foundation of Canada.
“We realize this isn’t something a lot of people talk about, so we need to support these employees and encourage people to think practically about accommodations, simple things that can be done,” Ovsenny said.
Metrolinx’s menopause policy outlines options for support, encourages discussion between employees and leaders, and provides formal accommodations for affected employees, she said.
Alongside a formal policy, leaders can provide accommodations through existing policies, like the hybrid work policy. The company also provides an employee care advisor, who gives guidance and support for employees on all issues, including menopause, she said.
“We didn't just put a policy out there, we also have dedicated resources to support it. We are trying to create conversation and dialogue between employees and managers when it comes to workplace accommodations,” Ovesenny said.
“Accommodations have ranged from uniform modifications and access to air conditioning to flexible working arrangements. Some of these accommodations don't seem like a lot, but wWe have found that our policy is very proactive in nature and really does try to encourage discussion between leaders and employees,” she said. “We really encourage employees to think practically about accommodations – simple things that can be done – so the policy itself actually outlines examples of accommodations to think about for employees who are experiencing menopause. And we have provided people leader guides to support them in discussions and create better awareness.”
Menopause benefits: ‘Education is the starting point’
With a menopause policy still in the early stages of development, Symcor plans to not only work with insurance and EAP providers to offer tangible benefits to employees but also strives to expand the proposed policy to all employees regardless of gender, said Brtan.
The benefits would be the first solely female-focused benefit Symcor offers. In an effort to bring a diverse, inclusive angle to the policy, Brtan hopes to incorporate training components for all employees to allow them to adequately support those experiencing menopause symptoms.
“Education is the starting point. We want to support individuals in this period that they might need help navigating, but we also want to look at it through the lens of diversity and inclusion, with the hope of expanding that to create training that creates advocates and allies for these women,” Brtan said.
“What about setting up lunch-and-learn sessions around this or setting up a formal campaign to educate and support employees to create that next level of a support system?”
With the average Canadian woman spending up to half of her life in a menopausal state — perimenopause, menopause, post menopause — this issue is worth getting ahead of to fully support employees, she said.
