Agent group says talented women lost to industry due to menopause

The Women In Property group claims talented females are being lost to the industry due to the menopause. 

It says panic attacks, tinnitus, mood swings, brain fog and extreme pain are some of the many symptoms that can make it near-impossible for women to continue working when the menopause strikes. For many, this costs them their confidence and careers and for some women despair associated with menopause can lead to suicide.  

WIP says this is preventable but is frequently exacerbated by a distinct lack of information or even misdiagnosis. 

The group’s comments come following a tribunal finding in favour of Alice Thompson, recently awarded £180,000 by a compensation panel following her victory in a sex discrimination case against her former employer, the London agency Manors.

Emma Vigus, chair of Women in Residential Property, says: “In the wake of Alice Thompson winning her case, it’s clear there are tides of change across the industry, but more work needs to be done to make sure all women – whatever their age or circumstance – get the support, flexibility and opportunity they need to continue working in the property industry. 

“In a world where periods are taught at school and there are midwives on hand to support women as they become parents, it’s madness that there is very little support for women going through the menopause. It’s never been more important to give businesses the tools they need to be able to support and confidently signpost their colleagues to the right resources.”

Vigus says her group’s recent debates on the issue threw up some key issues including the full breadth of symptoms, how it should be supported like any other long-term mental and/or physical health condition, how businesses can stand to benefit from putting more resources into support, and how early and correct diagnosis can help the worst-affected women get the right treatment sooner.  

Launched in 2017, WIP aims to improve collaboration across the residential property industry and ensure that women working in the sector can establish and maintain their professional support network.  The network is designed to appeal to woman in agency, surveying and mortgage lending.