An office worker was awarded £37,000 in compensation after her employer told her the menopause was her “excuse for everything”, which then made her position in the company untenable and intolerable.
Heard in a tribunal in Aberdeen, Mrs K Anderson called in sick due to menopausal bleeding to her employer, manufacturing supplier Thistle Marine and was told in response to “just get on with it” as “everyone f****** gets it” but her boss and the company director.
The tribunal ruled that the comments amounted to statutory harassment and the firm were ordered to pay Mrs Anderson more than £37,000 in compensation as a result of harassment and unfair dismissal claims.
This compensation consisted of £18,826.56 consisting of a basic award of £13,418.50, plus money for a loss of statutory rights, loss of wages and loss of pension contributions. The tribunal also awarded her £10,000 for injury to feelings, together with £228 as interest, and she was further awarded £8,325 for accrued unpaid wages. The total cost therefore came to £37,379.56.
This case serves as proof of the importance of menopause education and training for all of the workforce, especially those in managerial roles. Menopause has not been added as a stand-alone protected characteristic to the Equality Act 2010 as it was deemed to be covered under existing characteristic such as sex, age and disability and provided sufficient protection against discrimination and harassment.
Blue Star HR can provide support to employers who are managing staff who are experiencing the effects of menopause and how they can be fully supported in the workplace. Blue Star HR can also facilitate education and training to the workforce as a whole to raise awareness on the impacts of menopause on employees and how to support staff and colleagues who may be affected in some way either directly or indirectly. Blue Star HR can also review your policies to ensure these are not discriminatory to those who are experiencing effects of the menopause and can also provide advice or help to implement schemes such as menopause champions in the workplace.
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