Menopause is causing women to quit their jobs at alarming rates
As October 18, 2019 marks World Menopause Day, it seems only fitting to draw attention to the huge disservice still being done to women in the workplace today.
Statistics reveal that only 25% of organisations currently provide any kind of support for women experiencing menopausal symptoms—a shocking truth, when one considers that all women who continue to work beyond their 40s will go through this often monumental change. In fact, 50% of women experiencing it have said it negatively impacted their ability to do their job to the usual standard yet, because of the lack of support available, they didn’t feel comfortable speaking to HR about it.
The menopause, I am told, is a sneaky thing. It creeps up on women, sometimes over the course of several years, slowly stripping away much more than their periods as its grip takes full hold. As girls, we waited with a curious mixture of horror and fascination for our menstrual cycles to start and as women we wait with the same feelings for them to finish. Though it seems almost poetic to think about—that our youth is bookended by these hormonal rollercoasters—the reality is far from it. When it comes to the menopause, the usual symptoms—hot flashes, night sweats and weight fluctuations—are just the tip of the iceberg and because of the lack of education surrounding them, more and more highly qualified women are being managed out of their jobs.
Employers, take note: the forgetfulness, brain fog and diminishing confidence in ability you’re witnessing in your post-40 female employees? They’re not ‘losing their touch’. They’re just going through the menopause.
“Not knowing what was happening to me when I started [experiencing] anxiety and depression and chronic fatigue, I felt abandoned by work and like I was being managed out [of my job],” explains Jane Hallam. “Having always been career orientated I lost interest in work, I started having anxiety attacks whilst driving on the motorway, had narcoleptic episodes of fatigue during which I would just collapse without warning, bursting into tears for no apparent reason.” So profound was the experience for her that she left her job and went on to found Esteem - No Pause, a clothing brand for women experiencing menopausal night sweats.
Marie Teevan, a former corporate worker for Virgin and now a rapid transformation coach, left her high-flying job under similar circumstances, after experiencing menopausal symptoms for over 20 years that left her feeling exhausted, anxious and completely lacking in self-confidence:
“Anxiety, lack of self worth and loss of confidence are tough to deal with especially as a high achieving woman in a high profile job—you doubt yourself and imposter syndrome creeps in—even when you've always been at the top of your game.”
Within each story of a woman experiencing the menopause, there seems to be a recurring theme: that symptoms are much more impactful than most people realise and the lack of support or understanding makes asking for help at work seem both pointless and uncomfortable.
Employers, take note: the forgetfulness, brain fog and diminishing confidence in ability you’re witnessing in your post-40 female employees? They’re not “losing their touch.” They’re just going through the menopause and with the right support from you, will still be able to do their jobs well.
What to look out for
So what are the symptoms to look out for? As mentioned previously, they’re much more varied than many of us are currently aware.
Becks Armstrong, founder of Clarity—the world’s first mindfulness for menopause app that provides mental and emotional support as well as allows users to track symptoms—urges employers and pre-menopausal women to be on the look-out for a number of symptoms.
“There are a range of symptoms (over 40) that a woman can experience when they are going through menopause. These symptoms can be from mild and unpleasant things, to severe symptoms that make it impossible to continue working. Every woman is different so with education, policies and some reasonable adjustments, it can make the workplace a comfortable space for them.”
The lesser-known symptoms of anxiety, depression and memory loss increase the risk of misdiagnosis as well—especially in women whose periods have not yet stopped or those using hormonal contraception. With many of the symptoms presenting themselves as mood or ability changes, it’s easy to see why they have so far been written off by many employers as simply a diminishment of skill. Only by educating themselves on the symptoms will businesses be able to recognise the real cause in their employees.
What employers can do
Becks believes that significant improvements can be made for menopausal employees without huge amounts of effort: “These don’t need to be big or expensive things [to make an impact].”
A few changes to environment and policy can go a long way to retaining women at risk of slipping through the net. The offer of flexible and remote working, the implementation of workplace policies and having an HR advocate that is educated on menopausal symptoms can have a significant positive effect. Even small gestures such as offering access to fans, cooler working areas or making a quiet space available for women experiencing symptoms can help, Becks advises.
“There can be shame and embarrassment associated with menopause for women, and there can be ignorance or embarrassment when things are mentioned. It’s important for companies to have training to understand what to look for and sensitive ways to accommodate some symptoms.”
As Teevan points out, "no woman should ever feel hopeless, helpless, rejected or invisible when facing a perfectly natural phase of life.”
The menopause will happen for roughly half the world’s workforce. It’s time employers stepped up to support them.
For more information on the symptoms of menopause, please see here.
