What’s the big deal about menopause for businesses

There is so much going on for businesses at present – financial struggles, supporting a workforce that is spread about, needing to be mindful of the mental health of staff during these times. So why on earth – on top of all that – should a business need to consider menopause? Surely, it’s not that big a deal?

Well, the answer is, it absolutely can be. We need to face the facts:

  • Menopause will affect everyone at some point – half the population directly (women), half indirectly (male partners, friends, managers, colleagues)
  • Menopausal women are the fastest growing demographic in the workforce. A study from Nottingham University showed that around 75%-80%of women of menopausal age are in work, which means there are over 3.5 million women of menopausal age in the UK workforce
  • Research commissioned in 2019 showed 14 million working days are lost each year through menopause related absences
  • Menopause, is, of course, individual. Some women will go through the menopause with no problems at all, and we have had businesses say that menopause is not an issue for them. However, statistics show that 3 out of every 4 women will have symptoms, and for 1 out of those 3 the symptoms will be severe and debilitating.

So rather than it being the case that menopause is not an issue, it is probably more the case that a business is not aware of the issue. Many female employees choose not to share that they are in the menopause, even with their direct line managers. There can be many reasons for this, ranging from embarrassment and fear of being stereotyped, to concern that their situation will be linked to performance, right through to fear that it might affect promotion opportunities etc.

In a survey of 1,000 women aged 45 or over carried out in 2019, 63% said the symptoms of menopause had impacted their work. In the same survey, 90% said their workplace offered no support.

So, could it be more of a deal than you think?

 

Menopause and Me

It is true it is yet another thing for businesses to think about, but we feel menopause should be firmly in the wellbeing agenda – more so, rather than less so, in these anxious, difficult times we are living through.

Support for menopausal women in the workforce, as well as being standard good management practice, also makes good economic sense. Support can reduce sick leave, improve performance and motivation, increase engagement and increase retention of staff who may look to leave their jobs if symptoms become difficult to manage. Which of course leads in turn to loss of skills and experience and the additional cost of recruitment.

There are many things businesses can do to support female staff going through the menopause, and most of the things are relatively simple and inexpensive to implement, being much more about awareness than physical cost.

So, if you feel menopause is a deal for your business, can you afford not to become menopause friendly?

Do please get in touch if you feel Menopause and Me! can help

Menopause and Me

Living well with Menopause

Are you going through the menopause but also working? If so, you are in very good company. 75-80% of women living with the menopause are in work. Although menopause is a natural stage of life, it can cause issues, and for one out of every four women those issues can be severe and debilitating, and can impact negatively on their work.

14 million working days are lost each year through menopausal related absences, and some women actually go as far as leaving their role because their symptoms become too difficult to handle within the workplace. Yet despite these statistics, a study carried out by Forthwithlife in 2019 reported that 90% of women said their workplaces offered no support to women in the menopause.

If this is your experience, try talking with a manager you think might be open to this, and explain how you are feeling and what might help you to cope more easily. The changes that need to happen can be simple and inexpensive. Often a raised awareness of the subject, and an opportunity to access both formal and informal sources of support can make a huge difference.

Menopause in the workplace Northamptonshire

The last team that I managed had several women going through the menopause, and I found that setting up a support group – where staff could come together, talk openly about menopause and support each other – worked really well, and sometimes made the difference between someone being able to continue in their role and walking away.

Whether or not you are working, self-care is also very important for women living with the menopause. Making sure that you have times when you can put yourself first and step away from everything else is essential. Just a bit of time to focus on you – to relax and to do something you really enjoy doing – can give such a boost. Focussing on ways of improving sleep, diet and exercise can all help with feelings of wellbeing.

Peer support is also very important. However supportive partners might be, this stage of life can feel quite isolating. It is easy to feel that we are alone, and no-one else is experiencing what we are. It’s true that everyone experiences menopause in their own way, but nevertheless there are common symptoms and feelings. So really there is no better way to combat feelings of isolation than to share what is happening to us with female friends. Simply talking and sharing can make us feel so much better. Peer support also gives us an opportunity to share ideas, tips and hints and gives us support through the bad days.  I had a good friend, also going through the menopause, who helped me through some of my bad days – we laughed together, cried together, and finished each other’s sentences when we were groping for words!

So, the message really is – don’t suffer alone! If you are having a tough time with the menopause, reach out. There are people who can help, and there are things you can try that will help you live well in this stage of life.

At Menopause and Me, we are passionate about helping women to live well at this time.

We can offer:

  • Help to your workplace to enable them to become more ‘menopause friendly’
  • A Talk shop to give individual women an opportunity to talk openly about the menopause, to share ideas and gain support
  • Individual support sessions
  • Resilience training for individuals/Team Leaders.

Do please contact us if you would like to talk through how we might be able to help. We would love to hear from you.

In the meantime –

Happy World Menopause Day!!