Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Menopause: Women Leaving the Workplace

Monday 7 February 2022 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Women feel forced to leave work or reduce hours due to menopause symptoms.
  • The Minister's Department for Work and Pensions is working with employer organisations to produce a "Menopause and Employment" report.
  • A cross-Government taskforce is addressing challenges faced by women experiencing menopause in the workplace.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Carolyn Harris Lab Neath and Swansea East
Benefits & Welfare Women & Equalities
Context

A poll by the Fawcett Society found that a quarter of employees experiencing menopause would consider leaving their jobs, with 10% actually doing so. This results in experienced and talented women potentially entering the benefit system.

Question

What assessment has been made of the economic impact of women claiming benefits after leaving the workplace early due to symptoms of the menopause?

Answer from Mims Davies

Too many women feel forced to leave work, reduce their hours or take a step back in their careers because of the impact of the menopause. That is why I asked my Department for Work and Pensions “50 PLUS: Choices” team to work with employer organisations and produce the “Menopause and Employment” report. I will be responding to the recommendations in the report shortly.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The economic impact of women claiming benefits after leaving due to menopause symptoms was not directly addressed.

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Q2 Carolyn Harris Lab Neath and Swansea East
Employment Women & Equalities
Context

A Fawcett Society poll reported that a quarter of employees experiencing menopause would consider leaving their jobs, with 10% actually doing so. This results in experienced and talented women potentially entering the benefit system.

Question

Given the challenges faced by women experiencing menopause at work, would the Minister consider creating a resource specific to women and their employers to help them overcome those barriers and keep more women in work?

Answer from Mims Davies

I absolutely agree about the challenges when it comes to employment. That leads us to the need for a longer-term plan for pensions and everything that comes with it. Indeed, one in 100 women experience menopause by the age of 40. The hon. Lady and I were both in the first cross-Government taskforce, with the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewes (Maria Caulfield), on Thursday. This is a key agenda point, and I look forward to working with the hon. Lady on it.

Not addressed: The question about creating a resource was not addressed directly; instead, the answer shifted towards long-term pension planning and cross-Government taskforce work.

How: Shifted To Longer-Term Plan For Pensions, Discussed Cross-Government Taskforce

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