The hidden impact of menopause on women and workplaces

Tasha was a high-achieving professional who enjoyed her job. She was confident, capable, and fulfilled in her career. But then something changed.

Tasha started to feel overwhelmed, her anxiety was rising, she felt her brain wasn’t functioning in the way it once had, her self-confidence began to wane, and she just wasn’t coping.

She had no idea what was going on. She thought that perhaps this was just how things were going to be as she was ageing (she was 43). These symptoms impacted her choice of job. Where once she’d been project managing, now she was taking on administrative roles with less responsibility. She used to be employed full-time on a permanent contract, but now she was opting for part-time, shorter contracts because she didn’t have the energy or capacity for anything else.

It wasn’t until a couple of years later she realised her symptoms were due to perimenopause. This experience significantly impacted both her mental and financial health as well as her work performance and overall wellbeing.

What is perimenopause & menopause?

Menopause is a natural stage in a woman's life when menstrual periods stop permanently. It typically occurs around age 51. Perimenopause is the period leading up to menopause when hormone levels begin to fluctuate and decline, it typically starts in a woman’s early 40s and lasts on average 4-7 years.

These hormonal changes can cause a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms, including:

• Hot flushes
• Night sweats
• Mood swings
• Concentration issues
• Digestive issues
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Low mood
• Brain fog – memory lapses, losing words and thoughts
• Fatigue
• Sleep disturbances
• Joint pain

Surgical menopause occurs when a woman has her ovaries removed before she would naturally have gone through menopause, causing a sudden onset of symptoms which can be severe and debilitating.

Menopause and the workplace

For many women in the workplace, like Tasha, it’s the psychological symptoms that have the biggest impact. Studies show that women can experience decreased concentration, increased stress, and feelings of reduced confidence and capability during this time. Despite the challenges, menopause remains a taboo subject in many workplaces.

As Kate Muir, author of ‘Everything You Need to Know About Menopause’ says:

“The don’t ask, don’t tell attitude to menopause does neither employers nor employees any favours.”

With 1:10 women leaving the workforce due to symptoms and an estimated 14m working days lost to absence related to menopause symptoms each year in the UK, there is a strong business case for organisations to understand menopause and offer access to signposting and specialised support to those going through it, should they need it.

Tasha’s story highlights this impact on workplaces. They lost a valuable employee, her skills and experience, and incurred the costs of having to recruit and train new staff.

As a coach, my interest in coaching women through menopause began because of hearing mid-life women say, "I just feel less capable" or "I'm not feeling as confident." They described struggling with brain fog and difficulty thinking clearly. I began to realise there was a common thread, perimenopause, which was wreaking havoc on women's confidence and careers without them realising what they were going through or that there were things they could do to help.

The hidden impact of menopause can be far-reaching and costly.

What can women do?

Menopause Coaching gives women space to reflect on their experiences, to be heard and understood, to learn about menopause, its unique impact on them and what can be done to help. Coaching allows time to look for solutions and develop strategies to help manage the challenges they are facing. Ultimately it empowers women to make informed decisions and navigate menopause with knowledge and confidence.

What can workplaces do?

1. Talk about it and raise awareness – reducing stigma and taboo.
2. Develop a menopause policy and guidelines for all – creating safety and expectations.
3. Offer menopause awareness training to employees – informing and educating.
4. Train all managers to be menopause aware – enhancing their management skills.
5. Offer menopause coaching - building knowledge and confidence.

It’s time to bring menopause into the light so that women don’t become undermined to the point of stepping out, aside or back and workplaces don’t lose valuable, skilled, experienced talent.

Our deepest thanks to Jo for sharing this blog article. If you would like to find out more about Menopause Coaching or Menopause Awareness Training for your organisation, contact Jo here.

Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash