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Menopause – Why it’s important to all of us

As with most things, there is a super simple definition and, then, there is the detail. There is not enough space in this article to fully address menopause and its impact on people and businesses, but I hope to highlight a few areas to start or, rather, continue to progress how menopause is addressed. This is a subject which I believe we all need to get to grips with, for our own personal sakes as well as those around us.

‘Taboo Health matters’

Here at Menzies and Menzies Wealth Management our team is presently 50.2% female and 15% of the total employee base is female in the 39-55 years age group, therefore imminently or currently experiencing symptoms, to a greater or lesser extent.  I appreciate these figures will vary for other businesses, but I have to wonder what steps UK businesses would take to address any other issue which will affect so many people at any one time.

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Are things changing for the better?

In my 30 years in the workplace, I have witnessed how things have only recently started to change for the better.  My mother, now in her 70s, and her contemporaries seemed less shy about such things than my grandmother’s generation, but still wouldn’t openly discuss menopause at work.  I know, I worked with her back then.   It was considered a private matter, to be kept under wraps and not to be shared with colleagues, particularly not male colleagues who might be embarrassed by it. You were supposed to just get on with it. This has remained the case for the majority of my working life. Thankfully, there is a change starting (pun intended!) and this is a good thing. With continued bravery and openness, menopause will be an everyday consideration for employers and employees alike. 

Back to simplicity, if you menstruate, you will stop menstruating (i.e., the menopause) and a person’s experience of that change will be as varied as the number of people who experience it. So, here’s the briefest of breakdowns:

  • Menopause happens around the age of 45-55 years but can start earlier (in 2019, the ONS estimated there were 5.1 million women in the UK in this age group).
  • There are three stages – Perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause.

Common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause are both mental and physical.  The NHS’s website lists symptoms such as:

  • low mood, anxiety, mood swings and low self-esteem
  • problems with memory or concentration (brain fog)
  • hot flushes, when you have sudden feelings of hot or cold in your face, neck and chest which can make you dizzy (for me, personally, they’re really awkward to deal as my face turns an angry shade of reddish purple in a split second, starting with my nose and spreading outwards)
  • difficulty sleeping, which may be a result of night sweats and makes you feel tired and irritable during the day
  • palpitations, when your heartbeats suddenly become more noticeable
  • headaches and migraines that are worse than usual
  • muscle aches, joint pains
  • changed body shape, weight gain
  • skin changes including dry, itchy skin
  • reduced sex drive
  • vaginal dryness and pain, itching or discomfort during sex
  • recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)

All of this is in addition to everyday life. Menopause is a part of life; it doesn’t replace everything else for a few years.  Menopause is not an excuse.  It’s a reason why someone might not be their best for a time. The good news is that it’s not insurmountable with care and some simple solutions.

Instead of being perceived as “past it”; old and ineffective; derided for not being able muster a coherent sentence (not fun, I can tell you, when you are responsible for giving advice and training people as part of your job), a few changes to the workplace may make the experience easier for everyone.  A menopausal person will have spent decades building their reputation, skills and expertise and it’s frightening that this can be whipped out from underneath you just because your hormones are changing.

What things should we consider?

  • Education – ensure the team understands what a menopausal colleague may be experiencing
  • Dealing with menopause as a DEI matter
  • Changes to uniforms to looser and more breathable fabrics
  • Providing facilities for somewhere to change clothes or freshen up
  • “Cutting some slack” if someone’s not performing to full capacity for a while, without making a “thing” of it
  • Changes to shift patterns or working hours to accommodate the sleep deprived person
  • Offer medical assistance schemes to provide information and support

If you are a woman running your own business:

  • Plan to put systems in place should you experience a bad time or need support for a while.
  • Find an ally in or out of work to support you.

There are lots of things individuals can do too but it shouldn’t be on them alone to find a way through.

Be kind to yourself!

As menopausal people we need to be kinder to ourselves.  We need to know and accept that it is coming sooner or later and start to have the conversations about what that might mean for employers and employees. 

I could go on, but for now, I hope that this is helpful and gives a few ideas of things to watch out for and make changes to.  Change need not a bad thing, in so many ways.

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