Menopause in the Workplace

The Menopause is something which most people have heard of. The real question is how many of us truly understand what the menopause is or how it affects those who go through it.

So what is the Menopause, who does it effect and how does it affect those who go through it?

• The UK average age of menopause is 51 years, but around 1 in 100 experience menopause before the age of 40 (NHS England)
• Approximately 1/3 of the entire UK female population are either peri or menopausal (Wellbeing of Women) – around 13 million people.
• There are three stages of menopause:
  • Perimenopause is when a woman’s hormone balance starts to change – typically in their 40s, but sometimes as early as twenties or as late as late-forties. Oestrogen production slows, and symptoms include tiredness or irritability, hot flushes, mood swings or sleeping problems. Anxiety often accompanies these symptoms, particularly in the latter stages.
  • Menopause is a continuation of perimenopause as the person adjusts to living with lower oestrogen levels. Hot flushes and problems sleeping may persist, and are often accompanied by mental wellbeing impacts such as increased anger and irritability, anxiety, forgetfulness, loss of self-esteem and/ or confidence, low mood and challenges with concentration – or brain fog.
  • Post-menopause is the time following the full-menopause where the low oestrogen levels persist. This may then increase risk of certain medical conditions leading to possible heart problems, weaker bones and weight gain.
• 99% of people polled by Work in Mind said that their peri and menopausal symptoms had negatively impacted their careers
• 59% of people had taken time off work due to their symptoms
• Of the 59%, 18% were off work for over 8 weeks
• Often it’s the psychological impact of the menopause that contributes to difficulty working – the affect on the memory, confidence, anxiety, stress, and self-esteem in particular
• In other research, Dr. Newson found that 50% of respondents had retired early or resigned due to menopause symptoms.
• In Dr Newson’s research, 60% of women said their workplace offered no menopause support

Offering support in the Workplace:

Creating spaces for those who are going through menopausal symptoms isn’t something which requires organisations to completely re-think how their office space works. Oftentimes, acknowledgement and awareness of menopause in the workplace, rather than avoidance of this ‘taboo’ topic, and communication that spaces have been considered with menopause in mind will reassure anyone currently experiencing these symptoms, or who will in the future, that their needs have been considered. This will fundamentally support your culture of inclusion, whilst ensuring you have provided a platform for such a large, and growing, proportion of the workforce to remain a valued asset in your organisation without feeling compelled to take early resignation or resign from their post.

• Enhancing the use of any outside space available for your organisation:
  • Putting in comfortable chairs and tables where colleagues could take a break, socialise, or even work during warmer and drier days
  • Additional covered space where colleagues may still access outside space irrespective of the weather
  • On a functional level, this will provide opportunity for people experiencing hot flushes to access fresh air and regulate their bodies in a comfortable environment should they wish
  • Outside space will also realign the connection with nature and the outdoors, improving mood and reducing stress
  • Relief from synthetic light may also support colleagues who may be experiencing menopause-related head aches or migraines
• If outside space is unavailable, autonomy over temperature and lighting in certain spaces may also offer sensory relief. However, this is easier said than done in the open-plan office space:
  • Pods are often a good solution, both to continue working in a more regulated & controlled environment or to just take 5 if needed before returning to work
  • Whilst regulating temperature and light to a level the person is comfortable with, pods may also offer auditory and visual relief, reassuring your colleagues that the CHOICE is available
• Dedicated wellbeing rooms are crucial:
  • To support both the physical and psychological symptoms of menopause, a discretely located wellbeing space is important (close to the core of the building or entrance ideally)
  • This wellbeing space should have temperature and lighting control with comfortable seating, neutral tones, and biophilic design elements – a view of outside is ideal, although natural imagery and/ or plants will also offer some visual relief
  • Tactile design elements in the space will also provide a grounding experience and distraction, such as textured cushions or sofas
  • Visual and audio privacy is a high priority – soundproofing and no visual access to the room from the outside will reassure the colleague that she can regulate and ground without fear of being heard or seen
• Toilets tend to be the saving-grace for colleagues experiencing menopause symptoms:
  • Through provision of these alternative and purposeful spaces to offer relief, the use of the toilet facilities for this purpose may be reduced, however…
  • Should an organisation not be able to provide these environments, or the person still feels most comfortable grounding themselves in the facilities, these spaces should offer a calming experience – consider neutral tones, soft lighting and a window where possible
  • Those also experiencing perimenopausal symptoms may become distressed or embarrassed if unable to access toilet facilities quickly – it’s would be best-practice to offer either gender-designated toilets with full height walls and doors between toilets as well as non-gender-designated toilets, which has the toilet, sink and mirror enclosed in one room, each offering access to sanitary products where possible

To provide a truly human-centric experience for your workforce, you may wish to speak with your female colleagues and ask them for their own views on what the workplace could better provide to support them through any menopause symptoms. This engagement process will show real openness towards an inclusive workplace experience, as well as provide some meaningful feedback to weave into your design.

It’s important to remember that, whilst these workplace elements will offer direct support for people experiencing menopause symptoms, they will also provide an enhanced workplace experience for the whole workforce, whether from a D&I and wellbeing perspective or simply through provision of a variety of work settings where colleagues can carry out different work activities. Members of the trans and non-binary community may also experience some level of menopause symptoms, despite taking hormonal treatments. Through the cultivation of an inclusive workplace design and culture, all colleagues – irrespective of gender identity – will feel valued, considered, and supported.

Co Author – Sarah Syson