Standard Chartered Bank has partnered with the Financial Services Skills Commission (FSSC) to explore how the menopause transition affects women working in financial services and their progression to senior roles

The research is being carried out by the Fawcett Society, UK’s leading charity campaigning for gender equality and women’s rights. It will provide critical insight into the challenges faced by women experiencing the menopause transition at work and how this impacts the talent pipeline across UK’s financial services industry. The findings will identify actions organisations can take to better address the barriers women are experiencing and will also provide practical advice on how employees can be better supported.

According to Government analysis on the effects of menopause on women’s economic participation, menopausal women are the fastest growing workforce demographic.

For many women the point at which they have the opportunity to attain a critical senior management role coincides with the menopause transition:

• Usually occurring between ages 45 and 55, although it can be earlier or later than this.
• Symptoms can last between four and eight years, according to the Faculty of Occupational Medicine.
• The transition is not a uniform experience for all women – approximately 75% experience symptoms and a reported 25% experience serious symptoms.
• The severity of menopausal symptoms and experience in the workplace can result in women leaving their jobs with one in four considering it according to the Wellbeing of Women survey in 2016.

The research findings will be reported in the Autumn.

Photo by João Barbosa on Unsplash