1. Why the menopause is a workplace issue
Menopause and Work
Why the menopause is a workplace issue
Workplaces and work practices are not designed with menopausal women in mind.
‘The UK labour market remains highly segregated on gender lines, with many female and male dominated occupations and sectors. Traditionally, less attention has been given to the health and safety needs of women workers. The historic focus of health and safety law and occupational health and safety research has tended to be on male dominated occupations and safety standards and workplace expectations have been based on a “standard” male worker. For women workers, the historic focus has been on prohibiting pregnant workers from certain types of work or exposures – as well as an assumption that the kind of work that women generally do is safer. For all these reasons, unions are advocating taking a ‘gender sensitive approach’ to health and safety in order to improve working conditions for both women and men.’ (LRD Women’s health and safety at work – a guide for union reps )
Wales TUC did some fantastic research and published a Menopause Toolkit in The research looked into the impact on working women going through the various stages of the menopause. This presentation is based on the Wales TUC research findings, their PowerPoint and the Menopause Toolkit which is included as a resource to this presentation.
In addition, there is also information which has been sourced from UNISON menopause guide and factsheet, NHS, British Occupational Health Research Foundation, LRD Women’s health and safety at work – a guide for union reps (2018), The Equality Act 2010, legal case information from Henpicked ( TUC Menopause Guide for Reps (2018), UNISON Gender, Health and Safety guide for reps (2016)
There are 3 activities taken from the toolkit which can be used as part of a workshop depending on how much time is available. Some activities might be more useful if running the workshop with stewards/H&S reps and similarly some might be more useful with groups of women members.
Fiona Roberts
Regional Women’s Officer
South East Region

2. Women in the Workplace 51% of population in the UK is female
71% women in UK are working
48% of the workforce are women in UK
3.5 million women over 50 employed in the UK
Number of women working at age 70 doubled in last four years (UK) (DWP 2017)
Research findings
Roughly 65,600 million people in UK and almost 900,000 more women
47% of the UK workforce are women (which accounts for 71% of women in the UK compared to 79.7% for men – Source=‘Women and the Economy’, House of Commons Library Briefing Paper March 2018)
8.8 million women F/T and 6.3 million P/T (42% of all women workers (13% men P/T)). Around 3.5million women aged over 50 are currently employed in the UK.
(2017 Telegraph article)
The average age at which women start the menopause is 51. Ultimately all women will experience the menopause, some before the age of 50, and some much later. As women work into their 60’s and beyond most women will work through their menopause.
A growing number of studies and research findings helping to shape dialogue regarding the impact of symptoms on women at work. Some examples below,
Griffiths Study 2013
10 organisations – online survey of working women aged 45-55
1,247 respondents
43% - Peri menopausal
40% - negative effect on working life
37% - no effect on working life
25% - made their manager aware
Nuffield Health Menopause Survey 2014
3,275 working women between
62% - negative effect on personal and working life
47% - suffering with depression (with more than a third 37% suffering with anxiety)
67% - general lack of support or advice for women going through the menopause
42% - mistakenly thought they were too old or too young for the menopause
25% - put it down to ‘stress’
72% - little support at work (women fare worse at work)
10% - seriously considered giving up work (1 in 10 women so just over 10%)
Wales TUC survey 2016
3,844 responded to large scale survey
In addition, participants were able to add their own comments to the questions and follow up workshops took place, to explore how women can be better supported in the workplace
Numerical data was combined with the comments and the workshop feedback.
The following questions (on the next few slides) are extracted from this survey.

3. In the UK how many women are currently going through or have reached the menopause?
How many women will experience noticeable symptoms?
8 out of 10 women will experience noticeable symptoms.
An estimated 13 million women in the UK (around 1 in 3) are currently going through or have reached the menopause.
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What percentage of women will find their symptoms hard to deal with?
Are women in your workplace affected by the menopause?
Almost definitely, yes! All women in your workplace will be or have been affected by the menopause at some point in their lives.
45% of women will find their symptoms hard to deal with.
Just some stats to get a picture of how many women in the UK are going through menopausal symptoms and what percentage find them hard to deal with at work.
Different pressures to consider
Although the overarching issues of menopause can be very similar for women, depending on what job they do and what organisation they work in, the pressure can be very different. So if you do a desk based job, and you have access to toilet facilities, and you can take breaks whenever you need to, that is very different to being a teachers in a classroom who has responsibility for 30 plus children and can only take breaks, probably not event between lessons, but only at lunchtime. If you work off site e.g, traffic enforcement, building site. It’s important to consider the practical needs of your workplace and the type of work that you and your colleagues do.
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4. % ?
The 2016 Wales TUC survey investigating menopause in the workplace revealed some startling statistics. The figures in the next couple of slides represent some key findings from the survey respondents who have direct experience of the menopause.
What % of working women felt the menopause affected their working life? (answer on next slide)

5. 88%
In the Wales TUC survey 88% of women felt that the menopause had affected their working life. Only around 38% said they would feel comfortable talking about their menopause status at work.
There has also been a lot of work on raising awareness about the menopause and work on policies within the Police Force. In a 2017 survey, by West Midlands Police over 80% of women staff reported that their symptoms affected them at work. In Sussex Police, following a workplace survey, sessions were run for both staff and managers by a menopause specialist nurse as part of the work to develop and implement an effective workplace policy.

6. Definitions Menopause
The menopause is when a woman stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally. Menopause is the time when there have been no menstrual periods for 12 consecutive months
The menopause or ‘the change’ – which feels like quite an old fashioned term but refers well to the fact that women’s bodies are changing during this time. It is a natural process for women when their ovaries stop producing eggs and hormones fall below certain levels. It consists of various stages perimenopause, menopause and postmenopuase .
This first slides defines - ‘the menopause’

7. Definitions Peri-menopause:
The peri-menopause describes a period of time of significant hormonal change which leads up to the menopause. The peri-menopause can often last for four to five years although for some women it may continue for many more years or for others last just a few months. The duration of the peri-menopause varies greatly.

8. Definitions Post- menopause
After a woman has not had a period for a year, she can be described as ‘post menopausal’. Symptoms can last around 4 year after your last period, although some women will experience them for longer.

9. What are the symptoms? Headaches Heavy, irregular or painful periods
Hot flushes, increased sweating and low moods are just some of the many symptoms of the menopause. Which symptoms do you think are possible in the menopause?
Headaches
Heavy, irregular or painful periods
Anxiety and/or depression
Urinary problems
A tick will run alongside each answer to reveal that all are symtpoms associated with the menopause
Joint aches
Sleep disturbance

10. What are the symptoms? Headaches Heavy, irregular or painful periods
Hot flushes, increased sweating and low moods are just some of the many symptoms of the menopause. Which symptoms do you think are possible in the menopause?
Headaches
Heavy, irregular or painful periods
Anxiety and/or depression
Urinary problems
All of these are symptoms and more on the next slide
Many people are aware of the physical symptoms like hot flushes.
The psychological symptoms of the menopause can too often be overlooked. Depression, anxiety and high levels of stress are symptoms that can make the menopause a time of uncertainty, affecting a woman’s confidence at work.
Some symptoms of the menopause can be interconnected e.g., hot sweats keeping women awake at night, if prolonged, might exacerbate other symptoms such as increased levels of tiredness , lack of concentration, irritability
ASK the audience which symptom most commonly associated with the menopause is missing?
Joint aches
Sleep disturbance

11. What are the symptoms? Symptoms
The list on the previous slide does not cover all of the symptoms associated with the menopause – there is no exhaustive list and there may be some symptoms which are not listed - everyone will experience the menopause differently and other symptoms can include;
Panic attacks
Mood swings
Fatigue
Poor concentration
Heart palpitations
Osteoporosis
Skin irritation and dryness
Dry eyes
Hair loss
Symptoms
Some women get all – at the same time
Some women get all – at different time throughout menopause
Some women only suffer with a few symptoms and say they are not really affected by them
Some women will sail through the menopause and hardly notice any symptoms
Everyone is different!

12. Who is affected? Most women will experience some symptoms
Symptoms will be varied and all women will experience them differently.
Duration and severity of symptoms will vary from woman to woman
Doesn’t just effect women in their fifties.
There is no male version of the menopause!
All women will experience the menopause albeit in different ways.
Behind the numbers that we’ve been looking at in this talk, there are diverse groups of people who are affected by the menopause, for example those living with a disability or an existing health condition, women of different ages, Black, Asian and minority ethnic women and lesbian, bisexual and trans people.
Some of these groups have protected characteristics and may be exposed to negative or discriminatory attitudes in the workplace, such as racism and homophobia. This can cause further stress which may worsen menopausal symptoms.
There is no male version of the menopause.
The following excerpt is taken from the NHS website,
“The "male menopause" (sometimes called the "andropause") is an unhelpful term sometimes used in the media to explain the above symptoms.
This label is misleading because it suggests the symptoms are the result of a sudden drop in testosterone in middle age, similar to what occurs in the female menopause. This isn't true. Although testosterone levels fall as men age, the decline is steady – less than 2% a year from around the age of 30-40 – and this is unlikely to cause any problems in itself.
A testosterone deficiency that develops later in life (also known as late-onset hypogonadism) can sometimes be responsible for these symptoms, but in many cases the symptoms are nothing to do with hormones.”

13. When does it happen? Medical or surgical Early or premature Natural
The menopause is part of the natural ageing process for women, but it can happen at a range of ages and for several reasons
Medical or surgical
Some women experience a medical or surgical menopause. This can happen suddenly when the ovaries are damaged by specific treatments or interventions such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery or a hysterectomy.
Early or premature
Some women experience an early menopause occurring before the age of 45.
The NHS estimates that around 1 in every 100 women will experience a premature menopause before the age of 40. This can also happen to women in their teens or twenties, which is not always widely understood. Premature menopause is not talked about, and often misunderstood. However, it is more common than people realise.
Natural
The menopause usually occurs naturally between the ages of 45 and 55. Before the menopause begins, there is usually a time of hormonal change called the peri-menopause. This is when many women start to experience symptoms and often lasts for four to five years. However, in some cases it can last many more years or just a few months.
Natural
Early or premature
Medical or surgical
(There are 3 subject headings ‘natural’, ‘early or premature’ and ‘medical or surgical’. It is a good idea to run the PowerPoint beforehand as each will come up separately with explanations on each as you click on them to flip them over)
Natural
Most women will experience symptoms between the ages of 45 and 55 as peri-menopause generally starts some 4 to 5 years before the actual menopause.
The menopause is defined by a period of time of twelve months since the last period. Some women might have no periods for 12 months or longer, but then have one. However, a break for 12 months still medically denotes that a woman is in menopause.
Early/premature
Sometimes women can experience menopause under the age of 40. The NHS estimates that 1 in every 100 women will experience early or premature menopause. It can happen to women in their teenage years and twenties although not a lot is known about why this happens.
Medical or surgical
There are some circumstances whereby women experience ‘early menopause’ e.g., for medical reasons such as a medically induced menopause to shrink Fibroids ahead of surgery to remove them or when the ovaries are damaged by specific interventions e.g, treatment for cancer, hysterectomy.

14. How long does it last? Every experience is different. True or False?
We’ve looked at the various starting ages and associated symptoms. Once a woman has had her last period, how long do you think these symptoms will last?
True or False?
Every experience is different.
On average, women continue to experience symptoms for no more than a year after their last period
This slide is a ‘True or False’ question which will reveal that every experience is different. On average symptoms last for four years after the final period, but around 1 in 10 women experience symptoms for up to twelve years or longer after the final period (NHS).
The thing to remember is that,
EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT!
Women can continue to experience symptoms for up to 12 years after their last period

15. Treatments
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) - Combined HRT (oestrogen and progestogen)
- Oestrogen-only HRT
Alternative remedies
Diet and lifestyle
NB: seek advice from your GP if symptoms are difficult to manage
Not all women want or need treatment to relieve the symptoms of the menopause but there are treatments available. We/I am not medically trained and will only tell you what I have read on the NHS website about these remedies but advise you to seek advice from your GP should you feel your symptoms are difficult to manage.
HRT involves taking oestrogen to replace the decline in your body’s own levels at this time. This can relieve many of the associated symptoms.
There are two types;
Combined HRT – for women with menopausal symptoms who still have their womb (oestrogen taken on it’s own can otherwise increase your risk of womb cancer)
Oestrogen only HRT – for women who have had their womb removed in a hysterectomy.
HRT is available at tablets, skin patches, a gel to rub into the skin, implants and sometimes a combination e.g., patch and tablet
HRT is not advisable for some women , such as those who have had certain types of breast cancer or are at high risk of getting breast cancer.
Alternative remedies – some women choose to use alternative/natural remedies to alleviate symptoms. You can open up the discussion to get some shared experiences
Diet and Lifestyle – We are generally all aware that a healthy diet and a decent amount of exercise will benefit us greatly, particularly during this time.

16. Women in the spotlight
It is interesting to consider that not so long ago the menopause was only talked about in hushed tones and to some extent there are women who still feel that it is a difficult subject and that there are still taboo’s or stigma attached to being a menopausal women or discussing it in public. It is helpful to women that women in the spot-light are speaking out about their experiences or writing about it.
Julie Walters – ‘10-Year Battle With Menopause is Finally Over’ ‘Julie Walters beat the menopause’ - No HRT, much less red meat, less alcohol and sugar.
Whoopi Goldberg – “It's wonderful and liberating. All of a sudden I don't mind saying to people, 'You know what? Get out of my life. You're not right for me.....(But) the menopause can be hard to deal with because it really is a shock when it hits you. There's no countdown. It's just boom. All those years moaning about my period and when it stopped, I was stunned to realise how much my womanhood was tied into it. It hits you hard.“
Jeanette Winterson - “ “Murderous, moody, crazy, depressed, nervous, exhausted, shouty, weepy” – even before I get to the word woman, you know it isn’t a man I am talking about, because certain words have stuck to women like wasps in jam.” Guardian article 2015.
Meg Matthews - has set up her own website dedicated to the menopause: megsmenopause.com.
Mariella Frostrup - “HRT opened my eyes and gave me my life back.” “Thanks to its end of life imagery and the terror women display when they’re in its grip, it has more in common with a virulent disease than the mere resetting of our biological clock”.
Information can be found on the NHS website, British Menopause Society and the The Menopause Exchange

17. Practical considerations
Little prepared – less prepared about work
Managing symptoms at work
Can women talk to their managers
Absences common
Sympathy is not enough!
2011 British Occupational Health Research Foundation research showed that:
Likely due to historic low levels of information on the menopause, the survey found that women were little prepared for the onset of the menopause, and even less equipped to manage symptoms at work. Everyone has a responsibility to take care of their own health however, some workplaces, PPE, rota/shift patterns – can exacerbate conditions that some women might already be struggling to cope with.
Over half had not disclosed their symptoms to their manager Symptoms can be significant and embarrassing for some women, only half of them disclosed the real reason for absence to their line manager. “I have had no understanding or support from my management. Speaking about very personal issues may influence how capable they might think I am work-wise” (quote from TUC Menopause Toolkit)
Absences are common. Harsh sickness policies might become a problem e.g., if a woman is suffering each month with heavy periods/flooding/extreme pain, this might mean that her sickness absence record might trigger a warning. Women who are unable to agree changes in working practice, or to work flexibly, considered reducing their hours might struggle – hence the number of women who feel they have no alternative but to leave their jobs purely as a consequence of their menopause symptoms.
Empathy not Sympathy! – women respondents to various survey ask for managers to show respect, to listen and to take concern seriously. Important that employers do not draw attention to a woman’s menopause or symptoms. Conversations should be kept strictly private.
Henpicked carried our a more recent survey whereby the respondents suggested that more recognition of the fact that menopause symptoms eventually pass could help, as this means they may only require support for a relatively short period of time. Some changes to the workplace might be so minimal as to not place any significant burden to the employer (e.g., desk fan, flexible working arrangement) especially when bearing in mind that menopause symptoms will eventually go away!

18. It’s a health and safety issue
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all workers. Under the Act, employers are required to carry out risk assessments under the Management Regulations which should include specific risks to menopausal women if they are employed.
The H & S at Work Act (1974) require employers to ensure that health, safety and welfare of all workers. Under the Act employers are required to do risk assessments under the Management Regulations which should include specific risks to menopausal women if they are employed.
The menopause is an occupational health issue and an equality issue, but is often hidden because people feel uncomfortable talking about it. It is important that union reps raise the issue in the workplace and make sure that employers are aware of their responsibilities. This will ensure that conditions in the workplace do not make they symptoms of the menopause worse and that women experiencing symptoms are not subject to unfair treatment or unlawful discrimination.
For employers, there are many benefits of fostering safer and fairer workplaces for women experiencing the menopause. Employers are more likely to retain the skills and talents of experienced and skilled workers and to benefit from increased morale and wellbeing among staff.
H&S representatives are a key contact to ensure that the workplace is safe for everyone. Union reps/H&S reps can promote a greater understanding of the impact of the menopause in the workplace – they might be the first point of contact (any reps/H&S reps in the audience?) Union reps can ask the employer for: risk assessments; negotiate a policy; ask for training for managers and staff – look at some of these issues in the next slide

19. It’s an equality issue Sex discrimination Harassment Disability
Sex discrimination might occur if an employer doesn’t make the same allowances for female employees going through the menopause as for male employees with other conditions.
Unfortunately, some women experience harassment relating to the menopause.
The menopause in itself is not a disability, but conditions arising from it may be considered a disability under the Equality Act.
There are many different equality issues linked to the menopause which have been overlooked for too long. The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination and harassment on various grounds including disability and gender. Here, we’ll explore some examples of these issues when it comes to the menopause.
Sex discrimination: for example, an employer might refuse to consider menopausal symptoms as a mitigating factor for performance management review, when it could be reasonably assumed that similar symptoms (such as memory problems) arising from other conditions would be a mitigating factor for male members of staff (see legal case on slide 20).
Another example could be where a manager might say that they don’t see the point in promoting a menopausal woman because they are too ‘hormonal’. Even if they don’t direct these comments at a particular female employee, it could cause other staff to worry about their careers.
Disability: for example, if someone has depression or urinary problems (see case on slide 20) linked to the menopause, and those conditions have a substantial and long-term adverse effect on that person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities, then that person would be considered to have a disability under the Act.
So, whilst the menopause is not in itself considered a disability – it is a natural phase in every woman’s life and therefore the menopause symptoms can give rise to a claim under the Equality Act Disability (see slide on recent case law regarding menopause – slide 20)

20. Recent Case Law Employment Tribunal – “menopause – disability”
Merchant v BT 2012 (1st Menopause case)
Davies vs Scottish Courts and Tribunal Services
£ £5000
Court officer, made mistake which had consequences, which though not harmful were undesirable
Had reported her problems, under OH review
The first ever case was Merchant v BT in This case was bought on the grounds of Sex Discrimination (Equality Act 2010). Ms Merchant was experiencing difficult menopausal symptoms which was affecting her performance at work. She was suffering from poor concentration levels and stress. Her GP offered evidence outlining her symptoms. Her employers performance management process required managers to examine whether under performance was due to health reasons. Her line manager chose not to do this and instead relied on his own experience and belief about the menopause. The manager failed to take into account Ms Merchant’s evidence or to seek appropriate expert advice. The company dismissed Ms Merchant and she took them to Tribunal. Her claim was upheld on the basis that her manager would not have approached a non-female condition in the same way. The Tribunal also found that the employer would have treated a man suffering from similar symptoms differently.
The second case and first menopause case taken on the ground of disability, Ms Davies worked for Scottish Courts and Tribunal Services and was suffering from various menopausal related symptoms and had been prescribed medication for cystisis. She kept the medication in her desk to be dissolved in water. On returning to her desk one day, she noticed that her personal item had been moved and the jug of water was empty. Concerned to see to men drinking water, she alerted them to the fact that they could be drinking medication. Although the medication was not in the water, she was subjected to a rigorous H&S investigation, was put through a disciplinary process and was dismissed on grounds of gross misconduct. She unsuccessfully appealed the decision and then pursued a Tribunal claim. The Tribunal ruling was that Ms Davies was unfairly dismissed and subjected to disability discrimination. The Tribunal also found the H&S investigation went far beyond the issues it should have been examining. The employer was ordered to reinstate Ms Davies and pay £14,000 loss of earnings and £5,000 in respect of injury to feelings.

21. What are the workplace factors?
In the workplace, some factors may not normally be seen as an issue, but become more problematic for someone experiencing the menopause. Which workplace issues do you think can exacerbate symptoms of the menopause?
Poor ventilation and air quality
Inadequate access to drinking water
Inadequate or non-existent toilet/washing facilities
Lack of control of temperature/light
Small changes to some working conditions can make a lot of difference to women’s tolerance levels during the menopause which can be relatively inexpensive and straight forward.
Time permitting you could open this up to the floor to get an idea of working conditions that affect the women in the workplace you are covering. It might also open discussion about using the template menopause survey as a way to get a better understanding of the issues as well as a tool to recruit new members and activists.
All of the examples on the slide could exacerbate symptoms of the menopause. The examples above are to do with equipment, uniforms – and are probably the first issues to be considered but there are other potentially less obvious considerations (next slide)
Lack of appropriate uniforms or personal protective equipment
Sleep disturbance

22. Workplace factors
Lack of appropriate gender sensitive risk assessments
Inflexible policies which penalise women because of their symptoms
Excessive workloads
Workplace stress
Lack of awareness about the menopause among manager and colleagues
Lack of management training on women’s health issues
Negative attitudes or unsympathetic line managers/colleagues
Bullying and harassment
Insecure employment (e.g., fixed-term, casual or zero-hour contracts)
Factors, in addition to physical or psychological symptoms, can put pressure on women and exacerbate menopausal symptoms (e.g., draconian sickness absence monitoring tools such as The Bradford Factor) and might also make it more difficult for a woman to raise the issue or seek reasonable adjustment.
The effects of the menopause on a woman’s working life are diverse and depend on each individual situation. For union reps/H&S reps it is important to make employers aware of the equality issues and health and safety issues related to supporting the menopause. Being aware of issues relating to gender in occupation health and safety ensure unions strive to make sure that workplaces are safer and healthier for everyone. Where the differences between men and women (such as the menopause) are acknowledged, there is a greater chance of ensuring that the health, safety and welfare of all workers is protected.
There are plenty of resources and training for stewards/health and safety reps to refer to for guidance.
UNISON Gender, Health and Safety guide for reps (2016)
UNISON Menopause guide for reps (2017)
LRD Women’s Health and Safety at work; a guide for union reps (2018)
TUC Menopause Guide for Reps (2018)
Short Activity 2 - Yvonne Taking Action . This handout/activity might to a good way to open discussion around some of these issues and also encourage more women to consider the role of H&S rep.

23. What can employers do? Training Awareness raising
Policies and procedures
Points of contact and support
Secure jobs
Employers need to be alert to legislation and recent cases and take necessary steps to avoid unfair dismissal, sex discrimination, disability discrimination and age discrimination. Menopause in the workplace is still an emerging issue and due to the low number of cases to date, it is still unchartered territory. However, the predictions are that there will certainly be more cases on the horizon so employers would be well advised to follow best practice in order to avoid being taken to tribunal.
Best practice includes;
Encouraging an environment of openness and transparency where everyone can talk about the menopause
Raising awareness, understanding and education of the menopause
Create accessible, well publicised policy and guidance documents for employees and line managers
Ensure employees feel comfortable talking to their line managers, and in turn that managers feel confident to have supportive conversations with employees.
Ensure that line managers are trained to understand how the menopause can affect working women and what adjustments may be necessary to support them.
Employers should offer appropriate reasonable adjustments and support, bearing in mind that all women experience the menopause differently
Employers should highlight the menopause as part of wider occupational health campaigns, so that staff know that the employer has a positive attitude to the issue. Leaflets or online resources should be provided.
In view of detrimental effect that insecure contracts can have on women’s health and well-being, employers should aim to employ all staff on permanent secure contracts.
If employers can create a workplace culture that enables women to discuss symptoms with their line manager then hopefully that means less women feel they have no option but to leave their jobs.
Short activity 3 – Good News Story

24. Union considerations - what can we do?
Workplace campaigns/Survey/Mapping
Consider negotiating a specific menopause policy
Check current relevant workplace policies
Ask for training (employer)
Branch meetings/ health and safety meetings
Check risk assessments
Encourage more women to become reps/H&S
Train all stewards – male and female
Surveys and mapping – there is a template survey which can be used in the workplace.
The case below is an example of good practice whereby an employer who had a policy and followed it was successful at Tribunal in defending themselves against the Claim from Ms Tiffin.
Tiffin v Surrey Police (2017) - example where employee lost her case
This case was pursued on the grounds of sex discrimination and disability.
Ms Tiffin had failed to pass a fitness test which had been introduced as a policy across the Surrey police force, to ensure that all police officers were fit for the job. Ms Tiffin said she could not pass the test due to health reasons. The employer made various attempts to support her in this. Eventually she resigned and took Surrey Police to tribunal.
The tribunal found that her employer had behaved reasonably. They had followed their own procedures, kept good communications going throughout, offering her reasonable adjustments to help her pass the test, such as access to gym facilities and a running club, with her manager offering to undergo the tests with her for support. The tribunal ruled that the fitness requirement was a necessary part of the job and that Ms Tiffin had not been discriminated against.

25. ANY QUESTIONS?