Confronting the taboo surrounding menopause in the workplace
January 28, 2022
From hot flashes to heightened memory loss, menopause (the natural cessation of a woman’s menstrual cycle) can be highly uncomfortable — and it doesn’t help that it remains a taboo subject in many societies. As a result, those undergoing menopause often suffer in silence, even though the symptoms they experience can be debilitating.
“My mood was all over the place and I couldn’t understand what was going on. I started losing my hair and having problems sleeping,” shares professional opera singer Karin Thyselius. “I also had the biggest brain fog ever. It was terrifying – I thought I was having early onset dementia.”
These symptoms can also affect people in the workplace. Indeed, research shows that three in five (60%) menopausal women are afflicted by the symptoms of menopause at work, and that globally, menopause-related productivity losses amount to $810 billion a year.
Make it happen here.
Clearly, we need to normalize perimenopause (the transition to menopause) and menopause in the workplace. To mark World Menopause Day 2021 last October, the Bloomberg Women’s Community held virtual panel discussions for audiences in North, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions to raise awareness about these life stages and highlight the support available at work and elsewhere.
“We don’t want anyone ever to leave the workplace prematurely because of inadequate support,” says Bloomberg reporter Lizzy Burden, who moderated one of the events.
Following these panel discussions, we suggest a few ways that companies can support menopausal employees in the workplace.
Create a safe space for sharing
First and foremost, companies should ensure that employees feel comfortable sharing their experiences with menopause, be it through panel discussions, peer networks, or other channels.
“It’s really important we continue to create space for people to talk about menopause because it normalizes the topic,” says Pamela Hutchinson OBE, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Bloomberg.
Use the right language
Companies should use appropriate language when describing menopause and drawing up related policies. This not only means discussing the topic with sensitivity and empathy, but also employing the right medical terms.
“I dislike the use of euphemisms — we’ve got to use the right language to describe menopause. It’s a normal function of life,” says Dr. Bella Smith, a women’s health specialist and the co-founder of The Well HQ.
Offer a conducive working environment
Can your company offer flexible working hours to menopausal employees, many of whom might suffer from disturbed sleep? Can you improve ventilation in the workplace — such as by providing employees desk fans — to help alleviate hot flushes? And can you design comfortable hygiene facilities stocked with menopause-friendly sanitary products? As Burden says, “small changes can make a really big difference.”
Provide training and encourage allyship
Peer support can be invaluable to those grappling with menopausal symptoms in the workplace. To that end, Smith suggests training up “menopause champs” — employees who are well-versed in the topic, and whom colleagues can approach for advice.
Companies should also encourage allyship among both male and female employees.
“We not only need to come together in sisterhood around this, but we should also educate male employees in the organization about what it means to be going through menopause,” says Hutchinson. As Kate Muir, a writer and documentary filmmaker, adds, “It’s really important to bring our men on board.”
One such male ally is Bloomberg News editor Dick Schumacher, who has been supporting his wife and colleagues through their perimenopausal symptoms. “The biggest thing I’ve found is creating an atmosphere where your colleagues feel comfortable speaking with you,” he shares. “Make it clear to people that you’re open to hearing what’s on their mind and what they’re feeling.”
In order to be a good ally, employees should also understand that menopause looks and feels different for each person.
“It’s really important that you get to know the individual experiences of the people you work with,” explains Hutchinson. “We don’t all have the same symptoms. What I need might not be the same as what someone else needs.”
Highlight medical benefits
Some companies outline the medical options available for menopausal employees, and others even subsidize related treatments.
Citing the example of James Timpson, the chief executive of British shoe repair and locksmith chain Timpson, who has offered to pay for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prescriptions for staff going through menopause, Muir says, “Above all, we need medical solutions to the problem. It is so important that those who are experiencing a difficult time can take action.”
For those concerned about the risks of HRT, Muir shares that other alternative treatment options are available, such as bioidentical hormones derived from natural sources like yams. “However, there are lots of supplements that are deemed as natural, but oftentimes lack evidence,” says Jannine Versi, the co-founder of Elektra Health, a U.S.-based menopause-focused telemedicine startup that offers evidence-based medicine, coaching, and community support. “We at Elektra try to be very clear about what the benefit-risk profile is of anything that you take, as it may also interact with existing medications. We also provide guidance on how to assess the quality of these supplements — some are shown to be pretty effective, others less so.”
“Cognitive behavioral therapy can also be helpful for symptoms such as anxiety, stress, low mood and sleep disturbances,” adds Dr. Lim Min Yu, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Astra Women’s Specialists in Singapore.
As Smith notes, lifestyle factors can go a long way in mitigating menopause symptoms, too. “We need to manage what we’re eating, how much we’re exercising, how much we’re sleeping, how we’re managing our stress levels — they go hand in hand,” she explains.
At Bloomberg, we are committed to creating safe spaces — such as private chat rooms — where employees can come together and share their experiences with menopause. We are also seeking to make workplace accommodations available globally, such as providing desk fans and designating wellness rooms where employees can rest. In addition, we strongly support events that help raise awareness of menopause and perimenopause, and encourage male allyship among the Bloomberg community.
All in all, there are many strategies that companies can explore to help their staff break the “hormonal glass ceiling,” as dubbed by Muir. This will go a long way in retaining talent, including women, non-binary, and transgender employees.
As Hutchinson sums up, “We have spent so much energy improving representation in the workplace, and [we can’t] lose [these employees] because of menopause.”
Join the Bloomberg Women’s Community on March 23rd, as we host a virtual panel discussion on perimenopause and menopause
Additional resources
- Pamela Hutchinson: Is it hot in here, or is it just me? Let’s talk menopause & diversity tunnel vision
- Community Business: Time to break the silence: Career impact of women’s health and wellbeing in the workplace
- Community Business: Women’s wellbeing in the workplace: Let’s stop accepting the status quo and instead #ChooseToChallenge
- Harvard Business Review: It’s time to start talking about menopause at work
- British Menopause Society: Menopause in the workplace