Words by Abi Scaife
The Bank of Ireland is now offering their employees paid menopause leave – in a big win for women's health.
Wow, that’s amazing!
Isn’t it? Employees experiencing menopause will now be able to take 10 days off a year if they are experiencing physical or psychological symptoms of menopause.
Tell me more.
The announcement was made during Ireland’s first-ever Menopause Day on 18 October, centred around World Menopause Week. As well as the paid leave, The Bank of Ireland will also be training managers on how best to support their colleagues who are experiencing symptoms of menopause.
That’s great! But, why now?
Well, a lot of research has been done recently into the effect that menopause has on women in the workplace.
According to a study by the Fawcett Society, a women’s rights charity, one in 10 employed women experiencing menopause quit their jobs because of their symptoms. Meanwhile, the Standard Charter Bank and Britain’s Financial Services Skills Commission found that a quarter of women are more likely to retire early due to menopause.
So it's definitely needed, then?
Indeed. So it’s more important than ever for workplaces to start stepping up to support women that are experiencing menopause, just like The Bank of Ireland is doing now.
This article aligns with the UN SDG Good Health and Wellbeing, and Gender Equality.
