Menopause: the silent retention challenge

Fitness and physical activity operators track member retention, customer satisfaction and attendance. But, asks Vicky Mose, a menopause mentor and founder of Imagine How, are they paying enough attention to retaining their workforce?

The fitness and leisure sector has become highly skilled at retaining members.

We analyse customer journeys, monitor attendance, invest in new programmes and continually look for ways to improve satisfaction and loyalty. We train our workforce to support diverse populations and adapt our services to meet changing customer needs. Yet while we focus on member retention, a different retention challenge may be quietly unfolding behind the scenes. The workforce delivering those member experiences.

The silent 15,000

The sport, leisure and physical activity sector employs more than 400,000 people across England, although many believe the true figure is significantly higher. Spencer Moore, Chief Strategy Officer at CIMSPA, has previously highlighted that parts of our workforce remain underrepresented within official workforce data. A conservative estimate of 500,000 people is therefore not unreasonable.

Our sector spends millions attracting and retaining members. Yet if national trends are reflected within our workforce, we could be losing thousands of experienced employees through a challenge that remains largely invisible.

Research suggests that around one in 10 people experiencing menopause leave work due to menopause symptoms. Applying that figure to our sector paints a sobering picture. If approximately half of the workforce is biologically female and around 60% of those employees are aged 35 and over, as many as 15,000 people could potentially be at risk of leaving work because of menopause-related challenges if national trends are reflected within our sector.

These are not simply workforce statistics. They are experienced managers, instructors, personal trainers, customer service teams and operational leaders whose knowledge, relationships and expertise underpin both the member journey and business continuity.

As many as 15,000 people could potentially be at risk of leaving work because of menopause-related challenges if national trends are reflected within our sector

The challenge is not a lack of good intentions. Many organisations are introducing policies, awareness sessions and wellbeing initiatives. The challenge is knowing whether they are making a difference and whether support is being embedded in a way that can be sustained over time.

Towards a sustainable workforce

That is why I am encouraged to see organisations such as CIMSPA exploring how workplace menopause support can move beyond awareness and become part of a sustainable workforce strategy. Through an ongoing case study with Imagine How, we are examining how organisations can identify gaps in support, listen to employee experiences and build approaches that can be measured, reviewed and sustained over time.

The question for our sector is not whether menopause affects the workforce. The evidence already tells us it does.

The question is whether we are prepared to measure its impact, understand the risks and put support in place that helps experienced employees remain and sustain their careers in the industry. Behind every successful member journey is a workforce we cannot afford to lose. For more details, visit: [www.imaginehow.co.uk](http://www.imaginehow.co.uk/)