It was all going so well, and then… boom, the menopause transition arrives!

Hot flushes, night sweats, fatigue, insomnia, joint pain, anxiety, depression, irritability, brain fog, itchy skin and memory lapses, to mention just a few … (Newson Health, 2024). So many symptoms to choose from! 

While not every menopausal experience will be like this, for many people it will. In these cases, navigating the menopause transition in the workplace presents a multifaceted array of challenges which can significantly impact not only the women experiencing it but also the dynamics between colleagues and the organisation within the work environment. 

Menopause (technically a year after a woman's last period) typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, although it is not always just a mid-life occurrence.

Around 1 per cent of women under the age of 40 and 0.1 per cent of women under 30 can experience an earlier menopause. 

Also, the progression towards menopause when symptoms may first occur (known as the perimenopause), can last for anything from a few months to many, many years, potentially beginning for women in their 30's and 40's (NHS Inform, 2024). 

The menopause transition marks a profound physiological transition for women, characterised by a range of symptoms that vary widely in their severity and frequency; however, the conversation surrounding it often remains somewhat limited in the workplace (Rowson et. al., 2023).

This needs to change. 

For many women, menopause coincides with other life transitions, such as caring for aging parents, supporting children, or managing other personal health issues.

Balancing these responsibilities with the demands of work can be overwhelming, particularly when compounded by the symptoms of menopause.

This can lead to increased stress levels, burnout, relationship difficulties, or even the decision to leave the workforce prematurely.

Anecdotally, many women find their professional lives going from strength to strength, only to wake up one day and feel as if their body is staging some sort of rebellion.

Nicky can distinctly remember delivering a key presentation at work and completely losing her train of thought, being unable to think of the word she needed whilst everyone in the room looked at her like she had lost her mind, quietly wondering if this person should really be left in charge of anything at all.

Yes, the struggle is real.

One of the biggest challenges is the lack of awareness and understanding about the menopause transition among employers, senior leadership, managers, and colleagues.

Menopause is often seen as a taboo subject, resulting in some women feeling uncomfortable discussing their symptoms or seeking support.

A knock-on effect of this lack of understanding is that symptoms are often mistaken for just poor performance or a lack of commitment (Rowson et. al., 2023).

Symptoms aside, broader social dynamics also play their part.

With greater opportunities in the workplace for women through increased equality (we still have a way to go on this, but we're on the journey), increased household financial pressures, and later retirement ages, we now have more menopausal women in the workplace than ever before… and all at a time when our hormones have become unpredictable (Orgad & Rottenberg, 2023).

For women to be able to fulfil their potential, and for organisations to be able to tap into (and not lose) some of their best resources, we need more menopause-friendly workplaces. 

In our upcoming webinar, 'Perimenopause and menopause in the workplace: Supporting women's careers', on 17 October 2024, which takes place ahead of World Menopause Awareness day on 18 October 2024, we will discuss the impacts of hormonal changes and strategies which can not only help improve the wellbeing and productivity of female employees but also foster a more inclusive and supportive work environment. 

References

• Newson, L. and Panay, N. (2018) 'Managing common problems in the menopause', InnovAiT, 11(7), pp. 378–386
• Early and premature menopause | NHS inform
• Orgad, S. and Rottenberg, C. (2023) 'The menopause moment: The rising visibility of "the change" in UK news coverage', European journal of cultural studies, pp. 136754942311595
• Rowson, Tatiana S., Sylvia Jaworska, and Iwona Gibas. 2023. "Hot topic: Examining Discursive Representations of Menopause and Work in the British Media." Gender, Work & Organization 30(6): 1903–1921

About the authors

Both Fiona and Nicky have undertaken and completed the Newson Health professional menopause training programme for healthcare professionals.