Menopause and periods policy – free template

This is our menopause and periods policy, please feel free to use.

Below is the Jack & Grace menopause and periods policy. It includes: 

  • Normalising talking about this stuff 
  • Giving you power and permission to ask for what you need 
  • Flexibility and adjustments to manage work around symptoms 
  • Five paid days off a year, where symptoms are too much to work (in addition to the usual sick leave)
  • Encouragement to take paid sick leave (judgement free) when you need it

And it helps us create an inclusive and supportive working environment for everyone.

Please feel free to copy and paste the policy and use it as a template (you might need to edit slightly to switch in your company’s name).

 

Jack & Grace menopause and periods policy

We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment for everyone. In fact, it’s the reason we founded Jack & Grace.   

This menopause and menstruation policy is here to give you the power and permission to ask for the adjustments you need to help manage your symptoms at work.

We also want to normalise talking about this stuff in the workplace. Or SHOUTING about it if you want to. 

The sorts of things we cover here – like making the adjustments you need to manage symptoms and do your job – also apply if you live with conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. 

It’s different for everyone

Experiences of menstruation and the menopause range from feeling no or mild discomfort to having debilitating symptoms and finding it difficult to do everyday activities. We don’t want anyone in our team to mask their symptoms when they’re working or try to cope on their own. You also definitely shouldn’t feel embarrassed talking about the menopause or your periods. We’d actively encourage you to talk about these things. 

We expect everyone to be respectful towards you if you experience symptoms and recognise that you might need unique support or adjustments.  

‘Official’ definitions and symptoms

The perimenopause is the period in life when a woman or trans man starts to experience hormonal fluctuations and changes to periods. The average time for someone to be perimenopausal is between four to five years.  

Someone is described as being menopausal when they’ve gone 12 months without a period and when your ovaries are no longer responsive. The average age to reach the menopause in the UK is 51. 

Symptoms of the perimenopause and menopause can include: hot flushes and night sweats, low mood/mood swings, poor memory and concentration (brain fog), insomnia, anxiety/panic attacks, headaches, fatigue, joint aches and pains, recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). 

A period is the part of the menstrual cycle where women or trans men bleed from their vaginas for a few days. For most, this occurs every 23 – 35 days. 

Period symptoms can include: leg, back, or stomach cramping, fatigue, constipation, diarrhoea, headaches, back pain, mood swings, depression or anxiety. 

Conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome can further increase the symptoms of periods (as well as having a debilitating effect the rest of the time too).

Reasonable Adjustments  

If your symptoms are affecting your work, please ask your line manager for support or reasonable adjustments. If you feel uncomfortable speaking to your line manager for any reason, you can contact Laura or Nyree directly. 

You don’t need a medical certificate to enable your line manager to arrange reasonable adjustments. The aim of the adjustments will be to remove or reduce the disadvantage created by your symptoms so you can do your job successfully.  

If you’re experiencing difficulties at work or debilitating symptoms, possible adjustments might include rearranging your working days or hours, taking time for exercise or naps, or having a meeting free day. We build in lots of flexibility in how we work – we’re very open to creative solutions.  

Once you and your line manager have agreed on what adjustments are reasonable, these will be reviewed regularly. If you don’t feel you’re getting the right support, you can speak to Laura or Nyree at any time. 

Leave  

If, despite the reasonable adjustments in place, you don’t feel you can work due to menopause symptoms, severe period pain, pre-menstrual syndrome or premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or the symptoms of conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, we offer five days of paid leave across the year to give you a bit of extra support with this. 

This is in addition to the normal sick leave (more info on that below).  

We’d also emphasise that there is no shame in taking time off when you need to. You won’t be judged for it. 

Copying and pasting from our employment contract: From the start of your employment (including during probation), you’ll be entitled to receive your full salary and contractual benefits during any periods of sickness absence up to a maximum of 20 working days in any 52-week period. 

To sum it all up 

Our menopause and period policy includes: 

  • Normalising talking about this stuff 
  • Giving you power and permission to ask for what you need 
  • Flexibility and adjustments to manage work around symptoms 
  • Five paid days off a year, where symptoms are too much to work (in addition to the usual sick leave) 
  • Encouragement to take paid sick leave (judgement free) when you need it

 

Last updated: July 2023