Suffering in silence
A recent UK study found that 40 per cent of women feels that peri and menopause symptoms negatively affected their performance at work. One in 4 women needs to take time off during their peri years for a peri or menopause problem, but only one in three of these women reveals the true reason. A staggering 10% of women leave the workforce altogether because of their symptoms. And 14% go part time or reduce their hours and 8% sidestep a promotion. Those who stay often suffer a crisis in confidence and feel their productivity takes a dive.
Making a change
So what can businesses do?
- Talk about it!
Dutch research showed that just running a menopause awareness course in the workplace, like my very own Don’t Sweat It, improves satisfaction, intention to stay at work, performance. I don’t mean shoving all the women with menopause symptoms in a red room of shame and delivering information to them alone. I mean talking about it to the team – just like we do for mental health.
- Simple solutions.
A more flexible uniform policy, stocking sanitary products in the bathrooms and setting air conditioning at a better temperature can help.
- Invest in women in their fourties, fifties and sixties.
I see countless organisations pour money into developing women leaders in their thirties. This is GREAT but all that ambition hits the floor as a woman starts getting brain fog and feeling like she can’t cope at work.