The Bank of Ireland will begin paying employees who take sick leave due to menopause.
The bank rolled out its menopause support policy on Wednesday, stating that it will pay for up to 10 days of leave for colleagues experiencing menopause.
The goal of the policy is to raise awareness of how menopause affects people, according to a press release from the group. All people managers and human resources employees will receive training on the subject.
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Bank of Ireland Head of Employee Relations Joanne Healy said in a statement that the company is committed to building a more inclusive and supportive culture for its employees.
“We want to help our colleagues at all stages of their lives including the menopause,” Healy said. “This new policy and training have been introduced as important supports for our colleagues who are going through the menopause. This will help us continue to build a work environment in which everyone is treated with fairness, dignity and respect.”
The policy is one of several “progressive policy improvements,” according to the bank, following recent enhancements to its paternity leave policy, domestic abuse support policy, and fertility leave and support policy.
“We will continue to explore ways that we can improve at the experience and wellbeing for all of our Bank of Ireland colleagues,” Healy said.
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One in 10 women in the United Kingdom quit their job because of menopause symptoms, according to the May 2022 Fawcett Society report “Menopause and the Workplace.” Research also found that 8 in 10 women say their employer hasn’t shared information, trained staff, or implemented a menopause absence policy.
