Menopause rights could be used to secure glass ceiling

IT MAY be just coincidental that the Bank of Ireland is introducing menopause leave for staff, just as the numbers of women taking employers to court citing it as proof of unfair dismissal and sex discrimination are rising internationally. An entitlement to 10 days leave for menopause-related illness is a straightforward equality measure which can help the bank protect itself against legal action by showing it cares about its femaledominated workforce.

But, as with any women-friendly policy, it comes with a health warning: the risk that menopauserelated rights might be weaponised against women, leveraged to keep the glass ceiling intact by handing men an easy advantage in the race for promotion or salary hikes.

Employment rights are essential, but the reality is that in a pennypinching office or factory, they’re often not worth a penny candle.

Newly married female employees are still denied plum roles for fear they are about to ‘start a family’ while mothers of young children are steamrolled out of responsible positions. At times, the Workplace Relations Commission seems like a revolving door for pregnancyrelated dismissals.

Blue chip employers offer ‘perks’ such as egg freezing, surrogacy and IVF, a double-edged sword in so far as they are also the means by which women can defer motherhood so that they can give 100% to their job.

Carving a successful career while having children can be a minefield for women in their 20s and 30s. What a pity if, in their late 40s, they must reassure their boss that they are not about to embark on extended menopause leave.