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Tackling The Menopause Taboo In The Workplace

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With companies increasingly valuing women in the workplace, and more women rising to senior positions, there is growing commitment for better policies and support for women. Yet, while pregnancy and motherhood are being woven into the fabric of our working world, there is one stage in every woman’s life that is still barely mentioned: the menopause. Very few employers openly recognise the particular needs of women at this life stage. This needs to change.

According to the Office of National Statistics (2013) in the UK there are now more than 3.5 million women in employment aged between 50-65. Menopausal symptoms associated with the transition to menopause (perimenopause) often begin for women in their mid-forties and typically last for four to 10 years. A recent survey found that more than a third of respondents felt that menopause transition affected their work life.

Mariella Frostrup in a recent BBC documentary, The Truth… About The Menopause describes the menopause as a 'great taboo'. Her research showed an association with negativity, silence, discomfort and stigma. Is it any wonder that women are wary of mentioning it to work colleagues or male line managers? One woman explained a common dilemma: “I have to make an intelligent contribution which is going to be difficult when my brain feels like it’s been replaced with a bowl of porridge.”

Yet talk about it we must. A recent blog in Psychology Today put it succinctly: “Many firms are in danger of losing some of their most experienced and highly qualified women without realizing the true reason, or what they, as employers, could do to retain them.”

The menopause is not a medical condition; it is a phase of life for all women. Falling progesterone and erratic oestrogen can lead to loss of confidence, mild panic or anxiety, poor concentration and memory loss, tiredness, depression, feeling low, poor sleep and hot flushes. These are all often cited as factors that can clearly impact a woman’s ability to contribute fully at work.

Deborah Crowe hit the perimenopause in her forties.After 4 years battling with my menopause and allowing it to cripple my career I was compelled to find a way out… I discovered a truly remarkable correlation between unmanaged stress and the worsening of menopause symptoms, which has thus far remained an untold secret.’’ Now a published author and menopause coach, her mission is “to educate and change the world for working women”.

Dr Andrea Davies, Professor at the University of Leicester and co-author of a 2017 Department of Education report on menopause transition and economic participation, suggests: “If you want women to thrive and have confidence at work, show understanding of the challenges women may be facing. In a campaign earlier this year Dr Davies urged people at her university to say ‘menopause’ at least three times a day to help break the taboo.

7 Tips On What We Can All Do To Support Women At Work

  1. Normalise menopause as a workplace conversation: encourage talk about the broad range of symptoms of the menopause and not only think about hot flushes.
  2. Educate managers and colleagues on what the menopause means in practice.
  3. Address the menopause openly in absence and attendance policies and build into performance reviews.
  4. Encourage women to take responsibility for their own health by making changes to their diet and lifestyle, getting fresh air and exercise and drinking plenty of water.
  5. Be open to reasonable adjustments in working patterns that can help manage different menopause symptoms.
  6. Offer coaching support to assess and develop strategies to manage symptoms.
  7. Celebrate menopause as a transition to the next career phase and provide planning so that women are able to reach their potential.

So let’s follow Dr Davies’ example and start breaking this taboo. After all, as the ever-inspirational anthropologist Margaret Mead observed: “There is no greater power in the world than the zest of a postmenopausal woman.”

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