Putting menopause on the production agenda
For October’s Menopause Awareness month, the APA and Sorcha Shepherd, EP at Caviar London, have released a draft menopause policy for production companies. Here, Shepherd explains why they created the template and how they hope members will implement it.
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As production companies, we depend on people who can solve problems under pressure. We value experience, judgement and the ability to keep a team moving when a job gets complicated.
We need to bring the same care to the conditions that allow those people to do their work. Menopause support belongs in that conversation, whether someone works in our office, on location or on a shoot.
The thinking behind the draft menopause policy I developed with the APA for member companies to adopt is straightforward: people need to know they can ask for support, and companies need a practical way to respond. In a business built around changing teams and tight schedules, leaving that response entirely to individual goodwill creates uncertainty. A clear template gives companies something they can adapt to their own circumstances.
[The template] asks managers to avoid assumptions about who is affected or what their experience will be.
It also gives managers a starting point. They do not need to become medical experts. They need to listen, take concerns seriously, and discuss what would help. The template includes guidance on sensitive conversations, appropriate adjustments and when to seek further advice. It asks managers to avoid assumptions about who is affected or what their experience will be.
The policy recognises perimenopause, symptoms that can fluctuate over several years, and early or medically induced menopause. It includes trans men and non-binary people who are affected. That breadth matters: a policy should make it easier for someone to explain their needs, rather than require them to fit a particular picture of menopause.
Managers do not need to become medical experts. They need to listen, take concerns seriously, and discuss what would help.
In an office, support might mean flexible start and finish times, a desk fan, access to a quiet space, or working from home when the role allows and a shoot day isn't required. These adjustments should be considered case by case. The conversation should be about what is useful for that individual and workable for the team.
On location or on set, the practical questions change. Can someone access drinking water, fresh air and additional breaks? What are the temperature and ventilation like? Are toilets and welfare facilities accessible? Could kit or clothing options help? Where concerns are raised in advance, can a particularly demanding schedule be adjusted? A fixed call time may limit one option, but there may be another way to help.
Menopause still isn’t talked about enough and its symptoms are far more varied than most people realise.
We should be honest about those constraints while taking responsibility for exploring the options. The template does not promise that every adjustment will work on every production. It provides a path to discuss support and agree on what's feasible. Confidentiality is central: share any necessary information only with the individual’s agreement and only with those who need it.
“As a woman, I know menopause still isn’t talked about enough,” says Joce Capper, APA Co-Chair. “And its symptoms are far more varied than most people realise. The more we discuss it, the more confidence women will have to ask for help, having a policy in place is an acknowledgement of that and a big step in the right direction.”
In an office, support might mean flexible start and finish times, a desk fan, access to a quiet space, or working from home when the role allows and a shoot day isn't required.
For freelancers, that confidence can be harder to establish. They move between companies and teams, often without the relationships permanent staff have built. The policy applies to employees and, as far as practicable, regular freelancers and crew booked through the company. Companies adopting it should think carefully about how those people will access support, rather than assume they already know. Making a policy visible is a production responsibility.
I recommend naming a clear contact and explaining how to reach them when staff or freelancers join. Include that information in induction and booking communications, and make it accessible during a job. An optional wellbeing or menopause champion can offer another route for someone feeling uncomfortable about approaching their manager.
A shared framework gives companies somewhere practical to start.
Managers and production leads also need to understand what happens after a conversation. Keep a brief, confidential record of agreed adjustments so they aren't lost between shoots or jobs. The draft also proposes recording menopause-related absence separately where possible, so it does not count against attendance records or affect future opportunities. “A shared framework gives companies somewhere practical to start. Making it part of everyday working practice is what will give people confidence that support is available.” says Steve Davies, APA Chief Executive.
Adopting the template should involve naming the contact, briefing managers and telling people how to use it. Annual review then provides a chance to ask whether the support described on paper is working across the office and production environments. For me, the test is the next conversation. Does someone know whom to approach? Are they heard? Can we agree on a useful adjustment without compromising their privacy or professional standing? That is how a policy starts to make a difference, and how we demonstrate that the experience we value is worth supporting.
