It is estimated that about a third of all women will experience menopausal symptoms severe enough to have a negative impact on their quality of life. That negative impact extends to the workplace, where a great number of women have a difficult time managing their menopause symptoms. Many keep to themselves for fear of being stigmatised, or even let go for the "crime" of being menopausal. In this post, we will look at the issue of menopause support in the workplace and why this type of support is particularly important.

Menopause in the Workplace: Manifestations

Menopausal women represent one of the fastest-growing demographics in the workplace. This correlates to the larger trend of the ageing of the population. When women experience menopausal symptoms at work, those symptoms often take the form of a loss of concentration, fatigue, short-term memory issues, feelings of depression and a loss of confidence.

Hot flushes are another common symptom women experience during menopause. Hot flushes are typically felt in the neck, face, chest and sometimes arms. For some women, hot flushes can exacerbate existing feelings of anxiety or stress already associated with menopause. In many instances, the affected woman may also experience what seems to others like abnormal sweating and shivering.

Experiencing these types of symptoms at work can create an extremely stressful situation for the affected. Co-workers and managers often have little idea what is going on. So, instead of showing support they might simply misread the symptoms as a sign the woman has lost interest in her job. Or worse yet, they might try and tell her to "get over it".

Why Support for Menopausal Women is So Important

Taking all of the above into account, along with existing stigmas associated with menopause and a high degree of societal ignorance regarding the condition, it is vitally important that employers, managers, and staff learn how to offer menopause support in the workplace.

Employers need to view menopause as a health issue affecting members of their staff and treat those staff members with the same respect, sensitivity and deference they would anyone else experiencing a significant health situation. Menopause symptoms are by their very nature unpredictable so it is important that managers in particular understand the situation and are willing and able to offer support.

That, of course, begs the question of what constitutes appropriate and effective menopause support in the workplace. As a general rule experts suggest the following for managers and co-workers:

• Be patient.
• Learn how to recognise the symptoms.
• Make sure lines of communication are kept open.
• Adjust expectations to accommodate the situation.
• Don't call attention to her symptoms.
• Don't ever diminish her experience (i.e. "It's all in your head.")
• Do not make her feel guilty (i.e. "Everyone has to work harder because of you.")

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