Breaking the Menopause Taboo: How Supporting Women in the Workplace Can Benefit Everyone?

Menopause is currently a hot topic in the workplace, as it can affect how women feel about themselves and their productivity. Menopause is a life phase which affects 50% of the population who have no choice but to go through it and according to Forbes, lost productivity associated with menopause costs $810 billion per year globally.

A recent survey of 2000 professional women reported that one in every five women left or considered leaving their job because of menopause symptoms. This is not only devastating economically to women, it is costly to organisations in terms of losing institutional knowledge, talent and experience.

What is menopause?

During menopause and the years leading up to it, falling levels of oestrogen and low level of nutrients cause changes within a woman’s body. Menopause happens around the age of 51 and is the anniversary of a woman’s last period. However, the symptoms she experiences can start eight years before and continue afterwards. Symptoms include hot flashes, brain fog, insomnia, and lack of energy and concentration, affecting her mental health and well-being. Every woman’s menopause is unique; therefore, a good understanding of what is happening in her body and how to manage it is vital.

Menopause affects women who are going through this phase of their lives and those working with them.

All male and female colleagues want to provide a supportive environment and understand what is needed to create a safe space for every employee; therefore, this issue must be addressed. This need can be satisfied by providing information to allow a dialogue on the topic in the workplace. Additionally, the knowledge learned in the workplace is transferrable to their lives outside the work environment to support partners, parents and friends.

Whilst a few workplaces are supporting women through their menopause it’s time for more to step up. There is a robust business case to ensure that women do not leave the workplace. The consequence of women leaving organisations is a massive loss of talent, knowledge and experience, which is very costly to replace. Proven intervention solutions are incredibly cost-effective to businesses restoring productivity and beneficial to women who get their lives back and feel better than ever.

The first step towards making this happen is removing the taboo about menopause and allowing women to talk about it in the workplace.  Breaking down the barriers by creating conversations about how women feel and how it affects daily work is essential.  Educating the whole workforce ensures an understanding of what is happening and how women can be best supported.

At Femmar, we provide constructive help to women in the workplace so that instead of being dismissed as erratic and whiny during menopause, they are supplied with science-based tools to alleviate their symptoms. Our workplace programs help women to understand what’s going on in their bodies and how to overcome symptoms.  The program also focuses on helping men, as colleagues and managers, to better understand what happens at menopause so they can be supportive.    

Our workplace initiative is our Natural Menopause Solution based on medical research and doesn’t rely on hormones or drugs. Making modifications to diet, increasing activity and taking well-researched supplements can bring about massive changes in women’s bodies at Midlife. We have helped hundreds of thousands of women over the last 30 years to manage their symptoms and get back to feeling like the best version of themselves.

Real Life Story – Professor Jo Brewis – who instead of leaving the workplace, was made head of Department at her University.

“I am a co-author of a twenty-six-year review of menopause in the workplace. At the time, I was secretly scared stiff that I had early-onset Alzheimer’s, as I had the inability to remember anything. I also felt confused, constipated, and had spots all over my chin for the first time, making me very self-conscious.”

I enrolled in Maryon’s Natural Menopause Solution as I was desperate to overcome my brain fog and other symptoms. As an academic, I need to remember things and concentrate on whatever I am doing. Not being able to recall people’s names or focus on a paper I was writing or a lecture I was preparing was proving to be incredibly difficult.

It took three weeks for me to begin to feel better following a natural program. My digestion is so much better, and my constipation vanished. And my state of mind is so much better too. My memory has returned. I focus better, and my skin has cleared, so I’m once again spot-free. I am also generally calmer. Following Maryon’s program, I feel more confident, almost a new woman, and I’ve now been made head of department at my university, which would have been unthinkable before.

As a co-author of the UK government report “The Effects of Menopause Transition on Women’s Economic Participation in the UK,” I know that most emphasis is placed on the problem rather than the solution. So often, women are left within adequate help or advice. However, Some more forward-thinking companies are introducing policies and being more supportive of women going through menopause. Still, much more focus should be placed on the solution rather than labelling women as menopausal.

Founder – Maryon Stewart BEM

Maryon Stewart is the author of Manage Your Menopause Naturally and 27 other books. A world-renowned healthcare expert who is often referred to as the Pioneer of the Natural Menopause Movement. She has helped hundreds of thousands of women worldwide overcome PMS and menopause symptoms without using drugs or hormones. She has had her own TV and radio shows, as well as contributing to many other shows in the UK and currently contributes to PBS in the US.

She is the CEO of Femmar Health Corp, which provides tech-enabled natural menopause solutions to women both in and out of the workplace. In 2018 she was awarded the British Empire Medal and was recognised as one of the 50 most inspirational women by the Daily Mail.

Visit her and Femmar online at Femmar.com