Penny Lancaster acknowledged she was ‘deflated’ after the government rejected calls for a pilot programme for menopause work leave.
The 51-year-old former model, who is married to singer Sir Rod Stewart, has spoken out about her own menopause issues and is an ambassador for the charity Wellbeing of Women.
The Commons Women and Equalities Committee recommended a pilot plan for extra leave, but the Government argued on Tuesday that it was not ‘essential’ and could be ‘counterproductive’.
When asked about her reaction to the decision, Penny expressed sorrow and grief about the lack of care provided to ‘women of 50’ in this area.
She told Sky News: ‘Gosh, just deflated, really. I mean, women of 50 and over are the highest demographic in the workplace.
‘The sad thing is that if the workplace doesn’t help women with the menopause, then they will start reducing their hours, they won’t consider promotion, and even go to the point where they will quit jobs because of the extreme symptoms that menopause can have.’
The explanation behind the beauty Women’s Wellbeing urges businesses to join the Menopause Workplace Pledge, which serves as a framework for women.
‘The pledge that (Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle) actually signed, which we were delighted to see, gives very clear guidelines to what kinds of things the workplace could do to help women, but not only that advice that comes from the charity, but also to listen to the individuals, because each case is very different,’ she emphasised.
Following the menopausal ruling, a Government spokeswoman stated, ‘We recognise that the menopause can be a tough time for women, which is why we have put women’s health at the top of the agenda as part of the first-ever women’s health strategy for England.
‘We are implementing an ambitious programme of work with the NHS to improve menopause care so all women can access the support they need.’
The TV personality, who has previously been on ITV’s Loose Women, stated that when she began experiencing symptoms, she was prescribed antidepressants, which’made matters worse,’ before receiving hormone replacement treatment (HRT) for menopause.
Penny remarked, ‘I’ve been lucky enough to be on HRT, and it’s been life-changing.’
After completing her training for the force in April 2021, the renowned spouse works as a special police constable for the City of London Police.
She was apparently motivated to join the ranks after watching the Channel 4 show Famous And Fighting Crime, in which celebrities switched their day occupations with those of emergency service personnel.