With the onset of menopause and peri-menopause in women over 36, the reality is that working women across the world face even more challenges to their success because of, to put it mildly, unpleasant symptoms of hormonal fluctuations. 

The barriers facing women in the workplace, can be tough to navigate and some women are, understandably, reluctant or even afraid to talk to their employer about it.  Menopause is not a subject openly discussed even amongst women, or with partners, let alone with the men in the office!  We just soldier on, dealing with it as best we can.  

But now that the conversation has been started, and there are so many platforms where women can seek advice in a safe environment, there’s hope that this complex subject can become as mainstream as discussing the common cold!

Many women find that they are not prepared for the onset of the menopause and are even less equipped to manage its symptoms, especially at work.  Workplaces are not designed with menopausal women in mind, and the reluctance to speak up about it to superiors at work stems from a fear of being marginalised, discriminated against, negatively perceived or even of losing their job.  *According to GenM’s “invisibility report” almost 25% of women in the UK have been forced to quit their jobs due to strong menopause symptoms.  This has led to the cross-party House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee calling on government to act, amending the Equality Act, to introduce menopause as a protected characteristic, and to include a duty for employers to provide reasonable adjustments for menopausal employees.*  (from Menopause Matters July 2022)

With many years ahead in the workplace for women experiencing symptoms, organisations in South Africa will need to establish their policies around this subject and decide how good corporate citizens will support their workers through this change. 

Through staff education and acknowledgement of menopause as a real occupational health issue, there is no reason why productivity will be affected. The first step is REAL education of staff about menopause, in all its stages, and:

• • Provision of a culture where women feel comfortable about discussing their symptoms and what impact it has on their working lives;
• • Options around flexible working hours and working arrangements to help manage symptoms;
• • Improved access to medical and psychological support
• • Improve the work environment temperature control
• • If uniforms are required, ensure that they’re made of fabric that breathes and can reduce the effects of “menopausal heat”

So where to from here?

To break the stigma around menopause, women in business should openly discuss the subject and suggest steps that can be taken in each one’s individual work situation, to enlighten and encourage those around them.