Embracing Menopause
in the Workplace
Laura Jerram
|
It was world menopause day on Sunday, so here’s a question for us ALL. And yes, that includes men and younger women, too.
How much as managers do we really need to know about the menopause? Answer: a lot more than most of us do. Why? Well, these stats from the CIPD should help make the case:
Time for full disclosure. I have recently been adjusting to this unsettling journey of change myself and as a result I’ve been reflecting about the many wonderful “women of a certain age” I’ve worked with and managed over the years. Have I been empathetic enough? Did I consciously make room for conversations about the menopause? Did I stop to think about how it affected their capacity for work or how they felt about themselves both personally and professionally? Did I even understand what the menopause was? And the difficult conclusion I’ve come to is, probably not. But it’s hardly surprising. Menopause is still a taboo subject, especially in the workplace, and if it doesn’t affect us personally, it is often dismissed awkwardly as just “one of those things”. Older women don’t tend to share their experiences with younger generations, who in all honestly would rather not think about it quite just yet anyway. Growing up, it was never a topic in my house for example. My mum journeyed through the menopause without talking to us about it, and my friends all tell me the same thing. But, while many women might try to laugh off their hot flushes and constant memory lapses, the symptoms can be deeply unnerving and de-skilling, eroding confidence in our ability to perform at work. After all, only a couple years ago we were at the top of our game and now we can’t even string simple sentence together in a room full of key stakeholders. And, let’s be honest, the timing isn’t great! Women often hit the peak of our careers and the menopause simultaneously, and many of us don’t realise that our fatigue, brain fog, poor sleep and mood swings are down to the changes taking place in our bodies rather than any inherent personal or professional deficiencies. Sadly, an estimated 10% of women leave work as a result of the menopause. And when they do, they take their twenty to thirty years’ worth of skills, knowledge and experience with them. In recognition of this, an increasing number of businesses and organisations are developing menopause policies. But we need to go further than loading a document onto the intranet. We need to make our work spaces and cultures menopause friendly, removing the taboo so women can continue to thrive and contribute to their full potential in the workplace. After all it will either happen to us, or to someone we care about. And it will most certainly be happening to someone we’re working with. |
Contact us for an informal chat to find out how Central can help develop your policies
Tel: 0121 285 6161 or Email: kate.goodall@centralconsultancy.co.uk
Tel: 0121 285 6161 or Email: kate.goodall@centralconsultancy.co.uk