Menopause and Work - Let’s break the silence
Kate Ryder, Founder, and CEO of Maven referred to menopause as yet another invisible tax on women in the workplace.
We couldn’t agree more. Thank you, Kate Ryder.
As part of our mission to reduce the taboo on talking about menopause, let’s talk honestly about how it impacts our work lives.
If you consider that roughly 45% of people in the workforce over 50 are women, managing work during perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause is of real interest. And should be for employers too!
In their Women in the Workplace survey, Biote, found some concerning feedback about work from participants:
40% found symptoms interfered with work at least weekly
20% found symptoms interfered with work daily or many times a day.
26% shared that symptoms negatively impacted their career or work opportunities
In another study from Elektra Health, a third of women report menopause has negative impacts at work. More concerning, the fond 20% of participants actually considered leaving their jobs!
Yikes! That’s concerning.
At this stage in your career, you’ve built up expertise and valuable skills. You’re feeling at the prime of your career. So what can you do to make sure this transition doesn’t change that?
Talk to your doctor about symptom management
Read the updated guidance on Hormone Therapy and breast cancer risk. (spoiler alert, there is new data about breast cancer risk that opens up therapy for more of us.)
Beyond hormones, consider other treatments.
And talk to your friends who are going through the same stage in life. You won’t feel isolated and may start to focus on the reasons that menopause can be awesome.
So what’s a badass woman going through perimenopause and menopause to do at work?
We’ve curated some ideas for you and your employer. (Feel free to share this with your HR department!)
Keep some flexibility in schedules or work-from-home practices.
As many people head back to offices, relocating a desk to a cooler spot near ventilation or providing fans to control the temperature around employees’ desks can help.
Take a refreshed look at benefits - including mental health, alternative benefits, and medical benefits. It’s not all hormone replacement therapy. Ask providers what educational resources they can provide employees.
Talk about it! Highlight women in the workplace in their 40s, 50s and beyond who are willing to share their personal journeys.
Work with employee resource groups on programming and webinars to reduce the stigma and support women in perimenopause and menopause.
As pressure to “grow old gracefully” increases as reported in the Bonafide State of Menopause report, it’s time for open conversations about what women need during this natural part of our life journey.