Going through the menopause is a natural stage in every woman’s life. For some, it’s a seamless transition; for others, it turns their world upside down.
More women than ever are retiring later in life, meaning going through the menopause while working is now commonplace. However, many women still feel unable to talk about it at work, citing embarrassment and stigma. A staggering 90% of women find the menopause affects their working life, which highlights the need for employers to address this issue head-on.
Menopause is a global reality but underappreciated
- There are currently around 13 million women going through the menopause in the UK. Almost half – 45% - of menopausal women find the symptoms difficult to deal with. And these symptoms go beyond the physical, such as hot flushes, joint aches and irregular sleep. Psychological symptoms can include anxiety, depression, low confidence and lack of concentration.
- Even though three quarters of women experience symptoms during the menopause, only half seek medical help to help alleviate these.
How the menopause affects work
- The majority of women don’t feel comfortable talking to their line manager about menopause. The reasons range from feeling shame and fearing negative perceptions, to simply not understanding that these symptoms are menopausal.
- Professor Jo Brewis, co-author of the Government Report on Menopause, states, “menopausal women are the fastest growing workforce demographic”. In the past decade, the employment rate of women in the UK has increased by nearly 10%, and women now make up almost half of the UK’s workforce. 3.5 million women over 50 are currently employed in the UK. Seeing as the average age that the menopause starts is 51, it stands to reason that this is an issue which greatly impacts the workplace today.
Helpful resources for organisations
- In everyone’s lifetime they will be impacted by menopause. Whether you yourself experience the menopause or if you have a friend, family member or colleague who does, this is something that affects each and every one of us.
- In order to create a supportive and open workplace, not everyone needs to be an expert on the menopause but rather we can all take small steps to begin conversations and ensure everyone is given the assistance they would find most beneficial.
- Take the first step in starting the conversation about menopause in the workplace:
- TUC – An interactive guide to menopause in the workplace.
- Henpicked – CPD Accredited training used by top organisations in the UK.
- EW Group – Menopause Matters Training to suit specific needs of organisations.
- MenoHealth – Weekly ‘MenoClasses’ with specialists.
- Advocacy Focus – Bespoke menopause awareness training packages.
- Laughology – Menopause Awareness at Work training workshop.