Service needs to support officers going through menopause

THE Police service must do more to support female officers going through the menopause if they are to retain talented officers and avoid costly employment tribunals, the annual conference of the Police Federation of England and Wales has heard.

With an ever-ageing workforce, issues affecting female officers need to be given greater attention, said Dee Collins, chair of the British Association for Women in Policing.

CC Collins, temporary Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, said the menopause was the “last unmanaged health taboo” in the police service.

CC Collins said: “Many colleagues may be left feeling isolated and vulnerable at time when they need our support. The average age at which women go through the meno-pause is 52. I know of one officer who went through it at 27. It can result in a host of health issues – seven in 10 women experience debilitating symptoms.”

Symptoms of the menopause can include fatigue, memory impairment, loss of concentration, increased bone fractures, weight gain and mood changes. They can also experience stress, depression, anxiety, problems sleeping and poor coping skills.

And women who are going through the menopause may find harder to pass interview boards and exams, the conference heard.

CC Collins added: “Without required training for line managers in dealing with this, talented and experienced officers and staff will be tempted to leave the service because they feel unsupported. We are determined to address this. This is not a ‘nice-to-do’. We have legislative obligations to manage this.”

Women have won employment tribunals against forces where reasonable adjustments have not been made. Reasonable adjustments can include making arrangements for flexible working, agile working and assisting the women in dealing with the physical symptoms such as hot flushes.

Laura-Jane Fowler, from the Police Federation of England and Wales’ Legal Department, told the conference about a sex discrimination case in 2011 against the British Transport Police.

She said: “The claimant had underperformed for years [due to symptoms of the menopause]. She had a letter from her GP explaining the effects on concentration and memory. But her manager said he didn’t accept the letter because his wife had been through the menopause and hadn’t experienced any symptoms. So she was dismissed.

“The tribunal found manager’s behaviour to be bizarre. A man wouldn’t have been treated in the same way.”