Sydney Colussi1, Associate Professor Elizabeth Hill1, Professor Marian Baird1
1The University of Sydney, Business School, Australia
Once a “taboo” topic in the workplace, menopause is now emerging as a critical labour market concern in the context of ageing populations and rising participation of women in paid work. These demographic shifts make it more important than ever to align workplace policies with the needs of mature workers, but menopause remains a low priority in labour law and policy. This has negative implications for workforce sustainability and gender equality, with available research showing women in some industries are reducing their hours, withdrawing from the labour market, or bringing antidiscrimination claims due to inadequate support and gendered ageism related to menopause. This signals an urgent need for new policies that are more responsive to menopause at work. Drawing on interviews with key stakeholders at organisations that have introduced “menopause policies” we explore different policy pathways toward accommodating menopause in the workplace – enterprise bargaining, company policy and legislation. Our research shows that while some employers view special adjustments for menopause as having the potential to improve productivity and equality, traditional ideas about how to accommodate the female body at work and a lack of evidence on the impact of these policies is holding back future policy innovation.
Biography:
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