Menopausal symptoms typically happen at one of the busiest and most stressful times of life. A time when you may not only be holding down a senior role at work, but you might also find yourself needing to support ageing parents, guiding children through the turbulence of early adulthood, and trying to keep an eye on retirement, wondering how you will ever get there!
Oestrogen affects every body system, so every part of you is affected; how you move, how you feel, how you think.
Menopause can undermine your confidence and self-esteem, leading you to question your decisions. Its cognitive and physical effects may develop gradually over years, potentially impacting your career in profound ways. Unfortunately, these challenges are often overlooked, unrecognised, and untreated.
Times are changing. Thanks to high-profile figures like Davina McCall and experts like Dr. Louise Newson, menopause is finally being openly discussed. Symptoms that impact women’s performance at work are gaining recognition, and some employers are beginning to see that supporting their female employees benefits everyone. You can find all the data referenced in this blog at the end, and we encourage you to share this information with your employers.
Almost all women feel that menopause affects their work in three key ways: through symptoms, insufficient support and discrimination, and reduced income.
The most commonly reported menopausal symptoms are also among the least recognised: cognitive issues, primarily poor concentration and memory difficulties. These affect 75% of women, surpassing even the well-known symptom of hot flushes. Cognitive challenges are often worsened by sleep disturbances – experienced by 81% of women – that stem directly from oestrogen deficiency and are further aggravated by anxiety and hot flushes.
Cognitive symptoms frequently occur alongside mood symptoms, leading to or worsening low mood, depression, and anxiety, which can even escalate to panic attacks. These issues are often overlooked or remain undiagnosed, even when women seek help. As this combination of symptoms intensifies during the years of perimenopause, many women experience a loss of self-confidence. They may find it harder to work through problems, develop solutions, or remember details of ongoing tasks. This decline in self-assurance is significant, with nearly a quarter of women reporting they have missed promotion opportunities due to menopausal symptoms.
Hot flushes affect 64% of women and are often reported as a major symptom impacting work performance. Many women report feeling embarrassed, uncomfortable and unable to function. Uniforms seldom consider hot flushes in their design; they are often restrictive, offer limited options, and use synthetic materials that trap heat and sweat. Additionally, office temperatures play a significant role in employee comfort, potentially worsening the discomfort caused by hot flushes.
Joint pains are also a significant cause of workplace limitations. Roles involving prolonged sitting or contrastingly roles involving physical activity can become a struggle. Oestrogen plays a role in a cascade of hormones that support healing, so injuries like tendinopathies may take longer to recover.
Genitourinary symptoms are much less talked about that flushing and mood changes, but are very commonly experienced from early in the perimenopause to decades after your last period. Changes in vaginal acidity cause a change in the bacterial in that area, which in turn increases the risk of urine infections. Only recently treatment guidelines have updated so that vaginal HRT is now the first line treatment for recurrent urine infection in post-menopausal women.
Genitourinary symptoms are discussed far less often than symptoms like flushing or mood changes, yet they are very common, typically starting in early perimenopause. Vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence, UTIs, urinary frequency, decreased libido, vaginal infections and pelvic organ prolapse can all occur. Only recently have treatment guidelines been updated to recommend vaginal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as the first-line treatment for recurring urinary infections in postmenopausal women. Access to toilet facilities, and time to go, become critical to being able to be in the workplace, but who wants to discuss this with their line managers, especially if there is no recognition that this could be menopause related?
Discrimination is another key factor, and the topic of an upcoming blog post, as there’s a lot to explore here. At its core, the law acknowledges that menopause affects only women, so its impact must be considered within the framework of the Equality Act, which protects gender as a characteristic. If you’re experiencing something that wouldn’t affect a male colleague, the Equality Act applies, and employers have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments. There have been successful legal cases on this front. However, recognising that menopause is the issue can be a significant challenge, which is why improved education, openness, and conversations are essential.
With 17% of women contemplating leaving their jobs, and between 6% and 12% of women resigning due to menopausal symptoms, the impact on income and pensions is significant. Notably, the gender pay gap widens sharply from 14% to 19% in the 50 to 60-year-old age group compared to those under 50. However, data on this issue is scarce, though one estimate suggests that approximately 900,000 women face reduced income and pension benefits as a result.
Overall, about half of women need to take time off work due to menopausal symptoms nearly all say their symptoms affect their ability to work. Yet despite this, only 12% had asked for workplace adaptations.
We should all be asking ourselves why this is the case, especially if we are managers or business owners with a responsibility for the welfare of others. Why, when every woman goes through this change and can spend 20-30% of her working life in this time, do so few recognise what’s happening? Why do so few feel empowered to make changes in the workplace to ensure fairness and support?
We now have the opportunity to make a change. We have the knowledge to make a difference, if we can just start the conversation, between friends and colleagues and with our employers. Achieving this is simpler than it seems: raising awareness, offering flexibility, empowering individuals to drive change, and fostering open discussions. There are countless opportunities to build a workplace that recognises and addresses the challenges many people are facing right now, right before our eyes. Let’s begin that conversation.
We have brought together the data from five of the major sources examining the impact of menopause at work in the UK: Women and Equalities Commission, UK Govt. Menopause and the Workplace report July 2022; Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), CIPD Menopause Workplace Experiences 2023, Balance survey (2021) from Dr Louise Newson, and data from the Fawcett Society survey 2023. All of this information is freely available online and we would encourage everyone to read it, and bring it to their employers attention should they feel the need to.
