PFEW menopause guidelines: it’s so important that we support our colleagues

POLICE officers experiencing the menopause can expect more support now, thanks to the introduction of new guidance for all forces.

The guidelines, designed to help and advise individuals, line managers, senior leaders and occupational health advisors, have been introduced by the Police Federation of England and Wales.

Steve Kent, South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair, said: “This is good news and it is brilliant that the realisation is out there now that we really have to support colleagues who are experiencing the menopause.

“There are reasonable things we can put in place to help these officers. And the guidelines are  really important because they increase awareness. As the workforce within the police is inevitably getting older, because of the expectation that a lot of officers work later in life, it’s going to become more of an issue.

“So it’s better that this sort of awareness is out there because it is something again that’s been ignored for years and it’s only just now coming to the surface and starting to be tackled.”

South Yorkshire Police Federation is “ahead of the curve”, Steve said, as it has a menopause action group which is proactive about the issues.

He added: “This work is really valuable because people in the past have been reluctant to deal with it, because I don’t think people wanted to have the difficult conversations that sometimes they can have. But there are simple adjustments that can be made, for example introducing fans for office work, that kind of thing. So I think the guidance will give people the confidence to have these conversations now.”

44% of officers surveyed said menopause symptoms had been so problematic that they had considered quitting the force as a result.

And others said they would be too embarrassed to discuss symptoms with their line manager and believe they would be treated differently in a negative way if they did disclose, as it could be seen as a sign of weakness.