Most of us know the symptoms but how can we manage them at work and what impact will they have?
Hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations and brain fog. These symptoms of menopause are bad enough, but what if you’re experiencing them at work?
According to the organisation Wellbeing of Women, 900,000 women have quit their jobs due to the menopause.
They are calling on everyone to sign up to their Menopause Workplace Pledge to ensure women at work are supported.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex, recently spoke about the Menopause Workplace Pledge, saying it was ‘tragic’ that women feel they have to quit jobs.
And according to an Ipsos MORI survey in 2020, nearly half of working women aged 40-65 have experienced three or more menopausal symptoms while at work — but only one in 20 is aware of their employer offering supportive policies to women during the menopause.
Norma Goldman, founder and director of The Menopause Exchange (menopause-exchange.co.uk), has been presenting talks on the menopause and the workplace since 1999.
She says: ‘Things are definitely improving, even in the last three years, but there is still a way to go.’
Norma says that the many symptoms of menopause — hot flushes, memory loss, poor concentration and frequent urination, to name a few — can be incredibly difficult for women in a work environment.
She says: ‘You have to look at the environment. There is a minimum room temperature
for workplaces, but if the temperature is too high, this can increase hot flushes. So, is there air-conditioning? Are fans allowed? Are there uniforms and, if so, what is the material made of? Can a woman remove a uniform jacket if she becomes too hot?
As night sweats can lead to insomnia, is there a flexible work policy so women can come in later? Are toilets accessible to those with frequent urination?’
Aside from the practical considerations, Norma stresses that some women are simply too embarrassed to talk about the menopause at work, particularly with male managers.
‘There needs to be some training for line managers,’ she says. ‘We need to ask: “Is there
a menopause champion or ambassador? Is there any menopause guidance or a policy in place?”
‘Managers need to be familiar with talking about the menopause. Human resources might be able to arrange role play for managers so they are familiar with talking about menopause with women too.’
Norma says that simple changes, such as having a policy in place that other colleagues are aware of, as well as advice on exercise, nutrition, sleep and HRT, can help women so they no longer feel they have to quit.
She adds: ‘Twenty years ago, no one spoke about it. Now people are talking about menopause at last, and changes will be made so women can continue to work comfortably.’
I was forced to quit my job
For 20 years, I’d worked as a legal executive and always had a motto — leave your emotions at home. So when I started crying, aged 39,
for no apparent reason, I knew something was wrong.
I’d be at my desk at work and suddenly start sobbing. Then I started getting hot flushes which made me turn red and feel so hot and uncomfortable.
I went to my GP who gave me antidepressants, but I hated taking them. I got headaches, couldn’t sleep and felt worse.
I was back and forth for months. No one understood what was wrong with me. I felt drained, constantly hot and emotional, and I kept crying without warning.
I couldn’t focus at work — I couldn’t even book my car in for an MOT or open a letter. I felt anxious all the time.
Finally, I asked my GP if I could be signed off work. I was off for six months when my employer responded that we needed a meeting. I couldn’t do my job, so I was forced to resign.
I finally went back to my GP after a year of feeling this way, and after some blood tests, I was prescribed HRT.
Within two weeks I felt better. I was me again!
It was too late for my career, though. So I retrained as a personal trainer, then created my own protein shakes called Pretty Pea (prettypea.blog).
Now I run my own business and love helping other women.
Although menopause robbed me of my career, I’m thriving now.
From Cate Boyd, 47, of Manchester
● Sign the Menopause Workplace Pledge at wellbeingofwomen.org.uk