An HR guide to launching a workplace menopause survey
January 24, 2023
HR leaders: do you really know what’s going on with your employees?
If you answered yes, you’ll likely point to the data gleaned from your yearly or quarterly employee engagement survey. And while this is certainly a great start—there’s still something missing.
And it means that 20% of your employees may be suffering in silence.
Why?
Well, it’s a sometimes taboo topic in the workplace known colloquially as “the change.” It’s menopause.
Currently, over 20% of the US workforce are women over 45, and 85% of them report experiencing menopause symptoms. Many women cite menopause symptoms and lack of support from employers for them as the main reason for absenteeism, presenteeism, attrition, and even early retirement.
So how can human resources and benefits professionals help solve this employee health crisis? The first step is to launch a menopause survey.
What is a Menopause Survey?
A menopause survey is similar to any other staff survey or workplace wellness check-in. This anonymous survey helps HR leaders find out what their people want and need in terms of workplace menopause support.
It asks critical and necessary questions about employee health and menopause at work, like:
- Have you discussed your menopause symptoms with a supervisor or equivalent?
- Do you think your menopause symptoms affect your ability to do your day-to-day work?
- Is there anything that could be done differently at work that would make it easier to manage your symptoms?
Download Peppy’s Menopause Survey built specifically for human resources leaders here.
Why Should Human Resources Teams Launch a Menopause Survey?
Okay, so you now have an understanding of what a menopause survey is, but why should you launch one?
1 in 3 people who are going through menopause say they wouldn’t feel comfortable talking about it with their supervisor, and 61% of women say there is a lack of support and understanding surrounding women’s health issues, like menopause, in the workplace.
Perhaps most shockingly, 87% of women have not spoken to an employer or manager about their menopause symptoms due to feelings of shame, fear of discrimination, or being seen as weak and making excuses.
This is causing problems for you and your workforce—even if you don’t know it yet. Women with menopause struggling at work are more likely to leave your company, with 42% of women having considered leaving their job because of such symptoms.
All of this means that HR teams are spending more money, time, and resources to backfill roles left by these women and to build a solid female leadership talent pipeline.
Needless to say, menopause staff surveys are imperative. Download ours here.
How To Act on Menopause Staff Survey Results
Once you’ve gotten the results from your menopause workplace survey, you should:
- Present your findings to the company and/or executive leadership team.
- Determine a course of action—whether that is implementing a menopause workplace policy, instituting new employee wellness programs, like comprehensive menopause care for employees, or reconsidering your employee health service.
- ACT—if you send out a survey and do not act on the results, your employees may think that you are talking the talk without walking the walk. Don’t fall into this trap. Act on the results and communicate what you’re doing to your employees so they can see that you are working hard to support them.
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