Although the menopause is a completely normal process every woman will go through, we’d like to open the discussion and make the topic less taboo. It is our great pleasure to announce that ATM now have a menopause policy for all employees.

We recognise that members of staff will experience the menopause and that, for some, menopause will have an adverse impact on their working lives. The purpose of our new policy is to: 

• Raise awareness of menopause and its impact in the workplace. 

• Encourage open conversations between line managers and staff. 

What is menopause?

All women will experience menopause at some point during their life. Menopause can also impact trans and non-binary people who may not identify as female. Most of those who experience menopause will do so between the ages of 45 and 55. However, some start experiencing symptoms much earlier. Often, symptoms last between four to eight years, but they can continue for longer. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to, sleeplessness, hot flushes, memory loss or poor concentration, headaches, muscle and joint pains, weight gain, mood swings, depression, and anxiety. 

The majority of those going through menopause will experience some symptoms, although everyone is different, and symptoms can fluctuate. Menopause is preceded by perimenopause, during which the body prepares itself for menopause. Perimenopause can also last several years and can involve similar symptoms to menopause itself. For the purpose of this policy, any reference to menopause includes perimenopause.

Menopause is not just an issue for women. All staff should be aware of menopause so that they can support those experiencing it or otherwise affected by it. 

We encourage an environment in which colleagues can have open conversations about menopause. We expect all staff to be supportive of colleagues who may be affected by menopause in the workplace. 

We’re proud of the culture that we build for our employees at ATM and if you’d like to join us then take a look at our careers page here.