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Police Federation research has suggested giving exhausted female police officers time off in the morning if they lose sleep, as 80% of cops going through the menopause suffer with tiredness
Exhausted female police officers could be given the morning off if they lose sleep because of the menopause.
Police Federation research has found more than 80% of cops going through menopause suffer with tiredness and sleep deprivation. Around 33% had considered quitting and 56% said the menopause – which can also affect memory and concentration – had put them off pursuing promotion.
Now the Federation’s Women’s Health lead Hayley Aley is calling for changes. She said: “If an officer has had no sleep and they’re due on shift at 7am, there is flexibility there to swap to a late shift.”
Women make up 35% of officers in England and Wales’ 43 police forces. The call for better understanding of menopause comes almost four years after Cleveland Police inspector Michelle Lackenby lost a sex discrimination tribunal claim that her bosses tried to replace her while she was off with severe symptoms.
The Federation has previously raised concerns that 40% of forces do not have a menopause policy. But there is evidence of improvement in some areas of the country. In 2023 the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire forces won a government backed independent Menopause Friendly Accreditation.
Ms Aley said: “With more women officers than ever the menopause is not a matter just affecting a small proportion, but one that impacts thousands every day. Developing training programmes for managers can bridge this knowledge gap.”